Cherry Hill Township has reached an agreement with the Downs Farm Swim Club to take over maintenance of a closed pedestrian bridge, which will also keep the swim club’s land as open space should it ever close. The bridge connects the Downs Farm neighborhood to Haddonfield-Berlin Road, and the local community relies on it for pedestrian access.
Due to financial strains, the swim club could no longer maintain the bridge, leading to the arrangement where part of its property will be donated to the township, making the bridge municipal property. A key aspect of the deal will impose a deed restriction preventing any development on the swim club site.
Cherry Hill Mayor David Fleisher noted that the township’s past experiences, particularly with the closure of the Kingston Estates Swim Club, informed this decision. The Kingston property, which also faced potential development, was successfully acquired by the township to create a park and maintain open space.
The new bridge is expected to be completed by next summer, and both the swim club and the township are optimistic about the agreement’s benefits for the community.
