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CHOP and change Mayor Jeff Martin on the state of the township By JOe eMANSKi
Fred York, Sal Silverstone and Mike Lanzetta at the miniature golf course of the Hamilton Township Golf Center, now operated by the trio. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)
PGA pros ready to give golf center a much needed lift By RiCH FiSHeR There is a hidden gem that’s starting to glow for golfers in Hamilton Township. It’s a place that has been there all along but, under new operators, is offering more options while becoming family friendly. Formerly a township-run facility, the Hamilton Township Golf Center is now being operated by L&S Golf Enterprise, which
has brought in quality golf people and made some necessary improvements since taking over in January. With PGA pros now running the operation, the facility has become more than just a rundown driving range and miniature golf course. “All the upgrades were necessary,” said Mike Lanzetta, a partner in the operation with Sal Silverstone. “We made sure that
when you come you’re gonna feel welcome and not just an outcast coming to the range. The quality of everything was not up to the standards of the township. They make their parks real nice, their pickleball courts real nice and they felt they needed a new look here. “Not to fault anybody, but it needed somebody to come in with some revenue and addiSee GOLF, Page 36
All in all, Hamilton Township has had a pretty good 2025. Yes, there are major concerns about the state of affairs at Trenton Water Works. Hamilton and the other suburban towns served by the capital city facility continue to seek answers for confounding questions about the shaky operations of the utility. But when it came time for Mayor Jeff Martin to compose his concise state of the township address, the positives outweighed the negative in a year that has already seen substantial change and growth in town. The biggest and latest news might just be that Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania, or CHOP, has purchased the former AMC Hamilton 24 Theatre on Sloan Avenue with the apparent goal of opening a regional pediatric medical facility on the site. The news went viral as parents in Hamilton and the surrounding area got excited at the idea of one of a top medical facility coming to town. “We are certainly excited to be their Central Jersey headquarters. Not only bringing
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jobs here locally, but (also) ensuring our children who need the very best medical care can stay right here in Hamilton to get it.” The Post interviewed Martin a week after he gave his address. He said conversations began with CHOP in late 2024. “Since AMC closed, I don’t know how many developers we’ve said no to who wanted to build a warehouse there,” he said. “Because of the zoning (on the site), we were able to push back on that. When CHOP came here, they were looking at a bunch of potential sites, and we made a pitch for them to select this one.” CHOP has not yet revealed exactly what its plans are for the site — not even to township officials. “We’ve not talked specifics about what (the facility) would include,” Martin told the Post. “But their thought is, the first building they would build as phase one would be a 120,000-square-foot facility. Obviously they’re in for a big commitment and will have a large presence here in town.” Later in August, the township council declared the CHOP property an area in need of redevelopment, paving the way for CHOP to take the next steps. In his video address, which clocks in at exactly 9 minutes in length, Martin focused first See MAYOR, Page 22
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