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Plan would put houses on defunct Woodbury Country Club

About 125 single-family houses could replace greens and fairways at the shuttered Woodbury Country Club if a proposed development earns city approvals.

About 125 single-family houses could replace greens and fairways at the shuttered Woodbury Country Club if a proposed development earns city approvals.

A group of investors represented by attorney Dale Taylor and the Fentell construction firm of Voorhees want to build free-standing houses and triplexes clustered in a "village" setting. Under the plan, which was informally presented to city officials last week, the existing clubhouse would be remade into a restaurant, salon, and fitness center with the addition of a swimming pool and tennis courts.

The country club, which was founded in 1897, filed for bankruptcy last summer, citing about $2.88 million in debt, then closed in October. Membership had been declining for years and couldn't support debt from a 1991 renovation.

Neighbor Jerry Campbell, whose house sits just off the first hole, expressed both optimism and skepticism.

Though he said he wished the course could reopen, he called the proposal "a win-win for the city and the neighbors." But he questioned whether developers could pull it off.

The project could mean between $500,000 and $750,000 in new tax revenue for the city, Taylor said. That's significant in Woodbury, the Gloucester County seat, where more than a quarter of all property value is tax-exempt.

First, Taylor and the Fentell group must obtain a revision to the city master plan to allow for a greater density of houses. Taylor estimated that current zoning would permit between 30 and 34 units.

They need to secure financing to buy the land from Parke Bank, the country club's lender, which now owns the property, and to find buyers in a struggling real estate market.

One item that Taylor, a former club member, has under control is the sales pitch.

"This will be an enclave of sorts," he said. "We're not just selling houses. We're selling ambience."