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By MIKE DANIELS
Courier-Post Staff
Already perched between the Pinelands to the east and suburban sprawl to the west, the township finds itself at another crossroads.
Development in this affluent community, which more than doubled the township's population in the 1970s, tapered off to single digit population growth in the 1990s, according to data from the Census Bureau.
``We are a transition town,'' Mayor Lisa Post acknowledged of the township's geography. But ``there's always growth, there's always a little bit of change,'' she said of the community's development. ``There may still be the sacrifice of a farm or two to development, but you could probably come back here in 20 years and things would basically be the same,'' she said.
The 1990s marked the beginning of open space preservation in Medford. Strong support also organized for the village business district. And new parks and recreational facilities flourished.
``As a recreation director, when I talk to my counterparts across the state ... I'm the envy of (them) because of everything we have,'' noted Beth Richmond.
While the population is now growing at about 1.8 percent annually, Post said continued improvements are ahead to serve the ``family'' community.
Schools are to be built and renovated under a bond referendum approved last week to accommodate the still growing number of school-age children. A new building for township emergency medical services is to be built next year and plans for a larger library remain incomplete, but are continuing. Also in the works are more traffic improvements, officials said.
Always tempering growth in Medford have been the Pinelands Commission regulations, which cover more than half of the land in the community. In the 1990s, though, preserving open space in areas not guarded by Pineland's restrictions also became a priority.
``The potential for over-development is why I ran for council,'' said Councilman Scott Rudder. ``We're fighting a war on development. We've been aggressive in going after open space.
``We've targeted 5,600 acres for preservation. So far we've preserved 1,650 acres,'' Rudder said.
Perhaps no tract of land in town symbolizes the tug of war between development and preservation as the 200 acre Cow Point tract, which buffers the southern end of the village along Stokes Road. While repeated attempts have been made to develop it, township officials said they have made many inroads to preserving the farmland. Township Manager Al Feit said that no more than 25 homes can be built there.
``It's definitely one that we want to preserve,'' said Rudder.
In 1998, Medford voters overwhelmingly approved a 2-cent per $100 of assessed property value tax to raise money to buy and preserve undeveloped tracts. The voters have since approved raising the tax to 3 cents.
The growth of recreation in the town also was joined to the need for open space preservation, officials said.
Rudder cites two tracts which the township bought in the '90s and turned into parks. One of them, Hartford Crossing Park on Church Road across from Lenape High School, could have become a 275-home development. Instead the park opened in 1998. It contains 16 sports fields, many of them lighted, and a roller rink. Another parcel - a farm on Main Street - also could have become a 268-unit housing development, Rudder said. Instead, the township bought the land and turned it into Freedom Park, which includes walking trails, boccie courts and a skateboard park. It's also become the venue for township fireworks displays and other big events.
Richmond, of the township's recreation department, said the township now meets all the national standards for how many sports fields and other park facilities it should have per resident.
Officials said they envision some bicycle and jogging paths and a few more soccer fields may be built in the next few decades.
The only large business and residential developments currently pending in the township, but lacking approvals, are the massive Easttown and Eayrestowne mixed use proposals by developer Stephen Samost, Feit said.
Envisioned to be built along Eayrestown Road and Route 70 since the mid-'90s, the plans include a total of 596 houses, apartments, condominiums and townhomes to be built. The plans also call for 100 outlet stores, a supermarket and other retail and office space.
If built, the developments could spark another growth spurt for the township, officials said.
Along with parks and recreation, several dramatic road improvements began in the township in the 1990s to help alleviate traffic snarls. The biggest was the demise of Medford's traffic circle. While neighboring Marlton still has its infamous circle at routes 70 and 73, in 1997 Medford put the finishing touches on a signalized intersection to replace its circle at Route 70 and County Route 541.
More recently, improvements at the intersection of Stokes and Himmelein roads were finished adjacent to Cow Point and work at Route 70 and Evesboro-Medford Road, one of the busiest intersections in Medford, is just beginning.
Along with new schools, a new library and EMT station also await residents.
A contract was approved in October for the construction of a $1.3 million ambulance squad building. The 5,300 square foot facility is to be built on Jackson Road just off Stokes Road, officials said. A still tentative timeline calls for it to be completed by next fall.
More elusive though are final plans for a library to replace the small Pinelands Branch of the Burlington County Library system on Main Street. The township's growth has long overwhelmed it.
Feit said the search for another library site continues. The school district's transportation building on Main Street might fit the bill. Under the school system's new building plans, its transportation facility will be replaced by a new one at Chairville and Branin roads.
Today and Tomorrow stories:- Medford improves as growth slows
Already perched between the Pinelands to the east and suburban sprawl to the west, the township finds itself at another crossroads. - Schools prepare for more students
Thirty years ago, the rising tide of kindergarten enrollments here led to their classes being held in churches. - Support for the downtown is drawn from local events
An estimated 20,000 people crowded the downtown at the township's Dickens Festival recently amid character actors, jugglers and a barbershop quartet. - More kids beget more places to play in Medford
Regardless of interests or age, Medford's recreation department strives to offer something for everyone after a boom in recreation facilities here. - Fewer, but costlier, new houses limit first-time buyers in Medford
Medford native William Degnan, 63, bought a retirement home in Marlton, but it didn't suit the active lifestyle he and his wife enjoyed. So the couple decided to return to Medford, where they bought a larger and more expensive home. - Programs abound for rising number of elderly
In the past 10 years, Medford's senior population has risen almost 18 percent and that trend is expected to continue as baby boomers hit their retirement years.