Evesham Township secures $405,000 Green Acres Grant to purchase and permanently preserve former Barton Run Swim Club as open space for community; Mayor and Council approve Letter of Intent for purchase

Evesham Township is proud to announce that the municipality has successfully secured a $405,000 grant from the New Jersey Green Acres Program (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) to fund the acquisition and permanent preservation of the former Barton Run Swim Club property on Lakeside Drive.

The grant will cover up to half of the total acquisition cost, with Evesham Township having already budgeted the remaining funds required to complete the purchase. 

For the past year, municipal officials have engaged with Orleans Investment Land Associates – current owner of the property - about the potential to transition the property into a protected public asset.

Orleans had previously proposed to privately develop six single-family homes on the site.

As a result of discussions between the Township and Orleans, Evesham Township Council formally authorized a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire the former Barton Run Swim Club at Council’s August meeting.

The LOI memorializes the Township and Orleans’ agreement for the sale and purchase of the property to be preserved as open space, and the agreement outlines preliminary terms for the Township to purchase the site, pending final approval of an agreement of sale.

In the LOI, Orleans has also agreed to not pursue development of the site while the Township is finalizing the Green Acres Grant process. In addition, the agreement outlines Orleans’ responsibility for fully removing the former swim club building and infilling the old pool areas as part of the sale. 

The Township thanks Orleans for its cooperation with the Township in preserving the land. 

"This is great news for the residents of Barton Run and the entire Evesham community," Mayor Jaclyn Veasy said. "By securing this Green Acres funding and approving this Letter of Intent, we are protecting the neighborhood from further development and creating new open space for the public to enjoy. Once the land is under municipal ownership, the Township will ensure its safe upkeep and long-term care."

Evesham Township also received overwhelmingly positive public feedback from neighborhood residents regarding the potential acquisition of the property during a well-attended community meeting earlier this year.

The final layout and amenities of the future neighborhood park will be determined through a collaborative process driven by local residents, focusing on passive open space and other suitable community features.

The Township will announce meeting details in the future, after the acquisition process is finalized and formal closing proceedings on the property are completed.

“As a parent of two young children, I know that every family wants a safe, beautiful place to play and connect in their neighborhood," Councilman Christian Smith said. "Evesham Township is a community built around our parks and green spaces, and preserving that land has been a top priority for Barton Run residents for a number of years now. I’m so incredibly proud that our township secured the grant funding to honor that vision and make this a reality.”

The Barton Run Swim Club purchase is one of several strategic acquisitions the Township has pursued in recent years to bolster its open space inventory, expand recreational infrastructure, and protect local environmental buffers.

Other recent preservation initiatives include the purchase of 18 acres from the Evesham Township Board of Education off Greenbrook Drive in the Country Farms neighborhood, as well as the preservation of 176 acres at the former “Beagle Club” property on North Elmwood Road. Additionally, earlier this year, the Township agreed to assume ownership and stewardship of the 835-acre “Samost Tract” in the southwestern portion of the township—which includes the headwaters of the Black Run Preserve—once the land is acquired by the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.