Civil and Municipal - Jan 2024

Another corporate partner is Jefferson Washington Township Hospital, a 279-bed general acute care facility providing a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient services while employing over 2,200 people. In September 2021, the hospital opened Silvestri Tower, a new 7- 7-story, 240,000 sq. ft. patient pavilion, marking the conclusion of an overall $222 million investment in world-class healthcare. “We are considered the hospital hub of South Jersey,” Gattinelli claims. “You can seek a doctor for any ailment, sickness, or surgery, right here in Washington Township.” KEEPING THE INFRASTRUCTURE HEALTHY Just as people sometimes require attention from medical experts, a town’s infrastructure also must be tended to, kept in shape, and, when needed, upgraded, often for the sake of safety. Recently, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) approved the installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Delsea Drive (Rt. 47) and Salina Road. “No other administration was able to get the state to do that,” says Gattinelli. “And we need that light. There have been numerous accidents at this intersection.” A few miles north, on Delsea Dr. and County House Rd., a new mixed-use project, Bella Vista Village, was recently approved by Washington Township’s Planning Board. New construction on eight acres of wooded land will include 60 residential units and space for parking and commercial activity. Another major construction project that is set to start in the spring of 2025 is a $57+ million upgrade of a stretch of Route 42/Black Horse Pike that goes through the core of one of the town’s commercial corridors. More than four miles of roadway will be milled and repaved, shoulders widened, and upgrades made to guardrails and sidewalks. In addition, 10 intersections along Route 42 will be upgraded to include adaptive/synchronized traffic signals, which are intended to improve traffic flow through the area, and ADA-compliant curb ramps will be installed throughout. KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE In addition to keeping its infrastructure up-to-date and approving more housing and retail options for its citizens, a priority for any government is keeping its people safe. In that regard,Washington Township has been rated 91% effective.“I have to say that our first responders and their community caretaking are bar none,” Gattinelli states. “I would be remiss if I did not mention how in tune our police, fire, and EMS are with the town. We have the best around, for sure.We have a great connection between our schools and our police department and we now have a school resource officer in all of our schools. We just established that this year. We also have a great partnership with Uber. We have a Washington Township Safe Ride program that gets folks from an establishment that serves alcohol, safely home. If you provide a township address, they will take you from the establishment and you do not have to get back in your car. That has been widely successful, and we’re very proud of it.” HOPE FOR A NEW TOWN CENTER Going forward, Gattinelli says that she would like to 178 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 01