‘Excellent Compromise’ Reached Regarding Moorestown's McElwee Road

MOORESTOWN, NJ - Moorestown Council voted on Monday to allow residents’ input at several key points during the design phase of a project that may ultimately widen and improve McElwee and Cox roads.

The Council had previously heard 3 hours of comments over the span of 2 different council meetings about possible consequences of the project, such as increased traffic, decreased pedestrian safety and diminished aesthetic nature of the road.

Moorestown Township Manager Kevin E. Aberant said on Monday that normally after the Council approves a road project like the one intended for McElwee and Cox Roads, the chance for others to weigh in on the plans becomes practically nonexistent.

The vote the Council took at its meeting on Monday ensures that will not be the case with McElwee and Cox Roads, he continued.

“What's become clear is one of the primary things the residents are looking for is some further input in the process going forward,” Aberant said during Monday's council meeting. “That is a request that we can certainly accommodate.”

The approved plan indicates that about 50% of the project’s design for McElwee and Cox Roads is complete, the project will be added to the agenda of an upcoming township council meeting for residents to offer their thoughts. The act of adding the road project to an upcoming council meeting agenda will be repeated when 100% of the project has been designed, according to Aberant.

“This new wrinkle of allowing the township residents, but also specifically the residents of that road and [allowing] comments on the design is very important and very transparent,” Council Member Jake Van Dyken said during Monday's meeting. "It's an excellent compromise.”

Actual work on McElwee and Cox Roads – with shovels in the ground and machinery in place – will not start for at least several months, Aberant said.

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