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HEARTS seeks minor Green Acres diversion to build indoor riding arena in Egg Harbor Township
Summary
At a public hearing, HEARTS therapeutic riding center and its attorney told the Egg Harbor Township Committee they seek a Green Acres minor diversion to build a 31,000‑sq‑ft indoor riding arena on 0.781 acres of funded parkland; the township has identified a 2.09‑acre replacement parcel nearby. Supportive residents and board members spoke at the hearing.
The Egg Harbor Township Committee heard a public hearing on a request from HEARTS, a nonprofit therapeutic riding center, to permit a Green Acres minor diversion that would allow construction of an indoor riding arena on township parkland.
Attorney Richard Scott, representing HEARTS, told the committee the site in question is Block 5925, Lot 1 at 220 Leap Street, a Green Acres‑funded property of roughly 23 acres that currently includes a barn, equipment shed and a small recreation office. Scott said the application originally estimated the diverted area at 0.99 acres but, after further review with Green Acres staff, the team now expects the diversion to cover 0.781 acres (about 31,000 square feet), which Scott said is below the 5% threshold the program allows for a minor diversion.
Scott said the township identified a replacement parcel that meets the Green Acres 1:1 replacement requirement: Block 2417, Lot 4 at 6653 West Jersey Avenue, a 2.09‑acre site adjacent to existing township parkland. "So if the committee and the township decide to go forward with the diversion, the replacement parcel will be more than, you know, 2 and a half times the area required under the rules," Scott said.
HEARTS Executive Director Stephanie Green described the program’s services and why an indoor arena matters. "The benefit of the indoor riding arena will allow us to provide our services regardless of the weather," she said, adding that without an indoor arena mounted work must stop in bad weather and participants receive only limited ground lessons. In the hearing HEARTS staff said the program serves more than 85 individuals weekly and currently keeps nine horses at the facility.
Scott and HEARTS said they analyzed alternatives required under Green Acres rules, including a no‑build option, enclosing existing paddocks with a pavilion rather than a fully enclosed arena, and relocating the entire operation to a replacement parcel. Stephanie Green said a pavilion would not sufficiently block wind, rain or snow and would not produce safe footing for riders. The presentation also reported that several alternate parcels examined were either too small, would require significant tree clearing or were logistically infeasible for HEARTS’ operations.
After the presentation the committee opened the meeting for public comment. Dozens of attendees and community members offered support, praising HEARTS’ therapeutic services and urging approval of the measures that would allow year‑round programming. One attendee confirmed the facility currently maintains nine horses on site.
The committee closed the public portion of the special hearing after receiving comments and took no immediate formal vote on the diversion at that session. The township indicated written public comment would be accepted through May 20 at 5 p.m. and that written submissions should also be filed with Green Acres and must reference the State House Commission project number to be considered part of the Green Acres review.
Next steps: the township’s application will proceed through the Green Acres review process, and the committee asked members of the public to file written comments if they cannot attend future hearings.
