DEPTFORD — The thriving hospitality business here may add more hotels off Route 41 near Deptford Center Road, a traffic-heavy strip that already hosts four relatively new hotels.

A Wilmington firm, SSN Hotels LLC, wants to build two hotels on land at the rear of Harmony Lane, according to information before the township’s planning board.

The location is off Route 41, or Hurffville Road, a street that currently holds four hotels.

The last official use of the partially wooded property was a storage lot for trash containers and construction vehicles and equipment, according to reports.

The hotels’ site plan was set for a planning board review on March 8, potentially with a vote on final approval. That meeting was canceled with no new date set for a hearing, according to the township.

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The proposal calls for:

  • A Townplace Suites hotel of 18,390 square feet, with 112 guest rooms

  • A Home 2 Suites of 17,280 square feet, with 106 guest rooms

Both four-story hotels would have indoor pools and fitness rooms, as well as bar areas and other amenities.

Popular hotel areas

The Deptford development policy has embraced hotels since at least 2007, capitalizing on the township’s access to major highways.

This map depicts travel distances from Deptford Township to tourist and business destinations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.  The map was produced for a township economic development summit in 2016.

This map depicts travel distances from Deptford Township to tourist and business destinations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. The map was produced for a township economic development summit in 2016.

Two hotels currently operate near the proposed site.

A Courtyard by Marriott, at 1251 Hurffville Road, and a Hampton Inn and Suites at 1253 Hurffville Road are to the north of the Harmony Lane property.

They formed a two-phase construction proposal from JP Land Holdings Inc. that township planners approved in April 2015.

The Hampton Inn is configured to serve leisure travelers needing rooms for one to two days. The Courtyard is configured for business travelers.

Farther north are a Residence Inn by Marriott at 1154 Hurffville Road and a Fairfield Inn at 1160 Hurffville Road.

The township collects a hotel tax, which generated $268,623 in 2020.

Hotels proposed for high-traffic areas

SSN Hotels, if approved, would purchase the property from Harmony Lane Holdings LLC of Deptford.

The site actually is four small parcels, with different reports estimating a total of about 4.19 acres or 5.17 acres. The land historically was farmland and some woods, with vehicle storage recorded starting in the 1950s. The property is within the Business Center-4 Zone.

The entrance to a property at the rear of Harmony Lane in Deptford Township.  The property, off Route 41, is proposed for two hotels.  PHOTOS: March 6, 2023.

The entrance to a property at the rear of Harmony Lane in Deptford Township. The property, off Route 41, is proposed for two hotels. PHOTOS: March 6, 2023.

The developer is requesting five zoning variances, mostly dealing with setback and buffer area minimum distance requirements. The site plan offers slightly fewer parking spaces and fewer electrical vehicle stations than required.

A traffic impact study concluded that, during peak traffic hours along Route 41, the two hotels would be the source of additional vehicle trips numbering as low as 95 to as high as 162.

Joe Smith is a NE Philly native transplanted to South Jersey more than 30 years ago, keeping an eye now on the government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Deptford NJ may be getting more hotels along Route 41

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