The dilemma of developing farmland in the community has been up for debate since the threat of warehouses loomed over township meetings last year. Now, neighborhoods in the Richwood-Mullica Hill area are battling the latest push by developers to build new housing.
As open fields become less and less familiar to the community and replaced by housing developments, it is necessary to realize that although this project is providing new homes for families, there are many setbacks. As of the 2024 census, the population of Mullica Hill has grown by 25.74%. This means that overcrowding could become a detrimental issue as small, packed communities are popping up in order to accommodate new residents. This increase in the population can also be a problem for traffic patterns, especially on roads that were once quiet. The latest project by developers, which is set to happen in the Richwood section of Mullica Hill, has already become an issue for residents even in the early stages. In order to make traffic run smoother on roads in this area, the street is being widened. Not only does this cause multiple roadblocks, but it also increases traffic on a road with many families. This could make speeding and accidents more common in the once-quiet area.
Even though these developing projects have proved to be impactful to the community as whole, the township committee has not been completely honest with residents. Last spring, the committee passed the 2024 Redevelopment Plan with quiet approval, meaning residents were unaware of the massive changes the plan adhered to. Residents were given no information about the plan or how it could potentially affect their homes. Sarah Zuba, a resident of Richwood and spokesperson for the community’s pushback on the ongoing development projects, voiced her stance on the town’s dishonesty. Zuba said, “Only a handful of residents found out about the plan at the last minute and attended the meeting at which it was approved. The most recent meeting makes it clear that many more residents would have shown up in objection had they known about its content.”
As the trend of building within the community continues, residents are left unsettled with the idea that their once quiet and rural town could be facing development plans. In order to stop this cycle, it is important to remember that any resident can attend township committee meetings to protest against this issue.
