The Corner at Cross Keys: What Neighbors and Business Owners Should Know Before Nov. 17
One of the biggest mixed-use proposals in our part of Gloucester County is still in front of Washington Township's Planning Board. If you live near Berlin-Cross Keys Road and the Black Horse Pike, or run a business nearby, now is a good time to pay attention.
AI illustration, not the actual site plan
What's proposed
Mark Matthews from 42 Freeway reported on Sept. 4 that a roughly 20-acre property at the intersection is proposed for five commercial buildings and 103 homes. The named tenants are LongHorn Steakhouse, Starbucks and Flagship Car Wash. The plans also show an unnamed 8,700-square-foot restaurant and a 2,300-square-foot drive-thru restaurant. Starbucks would take about 2,000 square feet of an 11,169-square-foot multi-tenant building, which leaves room for more retail. The housing would be 82 market-rate townhomes plus 21 affordable units in two multifamily buildings.
The public hearing notice for the board's Sept. 15 meeting describes several steps: combining the parcels and splitting them into five commercial lots and 86 residential lots, a site plan, and "numerous variances, waivers, and design exceptions."
Where it stands
According to CountyBrief's recap of the Oct. 20 Planning Board meeting, The Corner at Cross Keys LLC postponed its request for final Phase I retail and signage approval to Nov. 17, 2026. CountyBrief's Oct. 26 county roundup confirms that date. The 55 Trade Center warehouse application was postponed to the same meeting, so expect a full agenda.
Tips for nearby residents
- Read the plans before the meeting. The hearing notice said the plans would be on file at the Zoning & Planning office in the Municipal Building, 523 Egg Harbor Road. Ask to see the current Phase I retail and signage drawings. At the time of writing, the agenda and any associated materials for the Nov. 17 meeting have not been posted on Washington Township's website.
- Show up and speak on the record. Planning Board agendas include a public participation item, and meetings start at 6:00 p.m. A specific, respectful comment carries more weight than a general objection. For example: "Where does drive-thru traffic queue?" or "How is the townhome edge screened from the car wash?"
- Ask about signage and lighting. This phase covers signage. Ask how big, how bright and how high the signs will be, and whether any of them face homes.
Tips for business owners
- Consider the in-line space. About 2,000 of the multi-tenant building's 11,169 square feet are spoken for by Starbucks, so smaller shops and service businesses may find room next to anchor tenants that draw traffic.
- Weigh mixed-use for your own site. Pairing restaurants and retail with homes is an approach worth studying if you own frontage on a busy road. It also means more approvals to manage, as this project's list of variances shows.
Design takeaways from an architect's perspective
Parking. One detail stands out. 42 Freeway notes that several parking variances go the unusual way: the developer wants more parking than code requires. The LongHorn piece would have 122 spaces where the township formula calls for 46. My guess is that a chain like LongHorn plans for more diners at peak hours than 46 spaces can handle. Extra parking can prevent spillover, but it also means more pavement, more stormwater runoff and a less walkable site. Fair questions to ask the board: Can any of the parking be shared between restaurants that are busy at different times? How is the lot landscaped and broken up?
Townhome placement. Mark Matthews of 42 Freeway said he hadn't seen the full site plan. He expects the commercial buildings to sit near the two roads, with the homes farther back. If so, the line between the shops and the townhomes is the part to watch: buffers, fencing, where trash and loading areas go, and headlight glare from the car wash and drive-thru. Getting that edge right is what makes mixed-use pleasant to live next to.
Reusing the corner building. The project includes the closed TD Bank at the corner. The notice doesn't say the building will be torn down, and 42 Freeway reports industry sources hinting it could be remodeled into the Starbucks. Reusing an existing building can save time and keep some familiar character at a well-known corner.
The bottom line
Projects like this shape how our corridors look and work for decades. Read the plans, go on Nov. 17, and ask specific questions. If you're a homeowner or business owner thinking about your own project near a changing corridor, we're glad to talk it through.
Richard Sanford, RA
Dauntless Design Collaborative, Williamstown, NJ