COURT HOUSE –– A local country club will soon be able to host bigger parties.

The Avalon Golf Club, Route 9 in Swainton, got the OK from the Middle Township Planning Board April 24 to complete plans for a 2,200-square-foot expansion of its banquet facilities.

When asked what drove the need for growth, the club’s Phil Barber told the Herald he was hoping to attract larger banquets including weddings. He said the expansion would nearly double the facility’s occupancy.

The planning board voted on a variance for the number of parking spaces required as well as preliminary site plan approval.
The golf club currently has 132 parking spaces and proposed increasing the amount to 172 spaces. That number, however, fell short of the 236 spaces required for the size of the facility.

Avalon’s representatives were able to convince the planning board that the proposed number was enough. They said the expansion would not significantly increase the traffic at the site noting that in 22 years of operation the current parking situation has been more than adequate.

In the end, the board unanimously approved the application. The golf club must still receive final site plan approval before completing the work.

Barber said he wasn’t sure when the addition would be completed, but was looking forward to being able to accommodate larger functions in the near future.

Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com