National Security Concerns Spur Moorestown Land Swap Proposal

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The goal of building an affordable housing complex on a piece of land that was designated for it 30 years ago took another turn Monday night, and this time that turn involves the United States Navy.

Representatives from the Navy and Lockheed Martin presented a proposal for a land swap involving a piece of land known as the Nagle Tract during Monday night’s Moorestown Council meeting.

“The U.S. Navy has operational security concerns with any development in such close proximity to the U.S. Navy’s most advanced development and test facility,” Navy Capt. Phillip R. Mlynarski told council. “Any development is such close proximity and visual range threatens the current and future viability of the site. It’s an asset to the safety and security of this great nation.”

Mlynarski is the commanding officer of AEGIS Technical Representative in Moorestown, which is helping to develop and test the Aegis Missile Ballistic Defense System at the base, which is a federal asset on land leased from Lockheed Martin.

He couldn’t provide specifics on the national security concerns due to the nature of the open public meeting, which was held virtually. Lockheed Martin’s role as a radar testing facility also came into play.

The Nagle Tract is a piece of land at the intersection of Centerton and Hartford roads was that earmarked for affordable housing 30 years ago, at a time when the area surrounding it was mostly farmland.

Its viability for affordable housing has since come into dispute as development has been built. Part of that development includes Lockheed Martin and a U.S. Naval base that is across the street.

In 2019, Moorestown Council approved a memorandum of understanding between the township and Walters-Cornerstone Development LLC for the development of an affordable housing complex at the Nagle Tract. Read more here: Council Appoints Redeveloper For Moorestown Mall

The project would cover 12.5 acres, and include 152 total units, with 76 set aside for affordable housing.

The project goes toward Moorestown’s goal of meeting its third round obligation of 337 affordable housing units by 2025 under an agreement reached with the Fair Share Housing Center in 2018. Read more here: Moorestown Approves Deal With Fair Share Housing Center

But this approval triggered an investigation by Lockheed Martin, which was unaware that the township owned that piece of land, according to Robert O’Brien, the vice president of corporate real estate for Lockheed Martin.

“I was told we owned almost all the land in the area,” O’Brien said. He knew there were two homes they didn’t own, but they bought one of the homes, leaving just one home they didn’t own. There is also land in the area they donated to the fire department that has never been developed.

The solution proposed was to move the proposed affordable housing complex about a mile up Hartford Road, onto land currently owned by Lockheed Martin. The township would assume control of that land, and Lockheed Martin would assume ownership of the Nagle Tract, which it would leave empty and use as a buffer for the base.

The land would be the same size, allowing the development to move forward as intended, with no impact to the township’s obligation. Re-zoning is an issue, so two ordinances would have to be passed by Moorestown Council before this could become a reality.

Lockheed Martin wanted to find a similar piece of land in a different area entirely, but that wasn’t possible.

“We’d prefer not to have anything for five miles, but distance makes security better,” O’Brien said.

Members of Moorestown Council and some members of the public supported the idea, but Marcus Sibley of the Southern Burlington County NAACP expressed concerns about the new land being as desirable as that which was initially offered.

“We spoke to the Fair Share Housing Center, and they saw it as an even swap,” Township Solicitor Kevin Aberant said. “It’s just a different 12.5 acres in the same vicinity.”

“We had to work with property Lockheed Martin already owned,” Township Manager Tom Merchel said. “This location is the closest to the original location that meets national security needs.”

No action was taken on the proposal at Monday’s meeting, and there will be room for public input as the process continues, Moorestown Mayor Nicole Gillespie said.