Boro, Pop Warner at odds over funding

Boro, Pop Warner at odds over funding
Parents protest targeting of grant for soccer complex
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS — Pop Warner parents and children packed the Tinton Falls council room last week to discuss how potential open space grant money should be used.

The meeting took place at the Sept. 15 Borough Council meeting and was kicked off by a presentation by Borough Engineer David Marks, of T & M Associates.

Marks said the borough is planning to apply for grant funds by the Sept. 23 deadline from the Monmouth County Open Space Grant program.

The county will match funds with the borough up to $250,000 if the plan that Marks submits is approved.

"The project we have here tonight is for the West Park Avenue recreation area, also known as Liberty Park II," Marks said.

According to Marks, the park is currently 37 acres and contains football and softball fields, a dog park, two basketball courts, nature and jogging trails and a concession stand as well as parking.

Marks explained what his initial plan seeks to accomplish.

"What we'd like to do under this project is expand the existing recreation uses and essentially keep it within the confines of our property," he said.

One of the projects included in the plans is a tot-lot, or a playground designed specifically for younger children.

The new playground would be located in the area immediately adjacent to the concession stand and a picnic area would be constructed above it.

"The picnic area would provide an area for people to enjoy their lunch," Marks said.

According to Marks, the grant money would also be used to correct some existing parking issues.

"One of the main problems we've had is the parking problem," he said. "In an effort to try to correct some of those problems, we are looking at maintaining the existing driveway, but also expanding upon it and adding a new access drive and some additional parking.

"This is approximately a 40-percent increase of what's there now," he added.

Marks said a survey crew would be asked to go out to the park to map out the wetlands lines.

He also said plans call for installing a new sidewalk throughout the park, as well as new lighting in the parking lots and for creating rain gardens.

"Rain gardens collect the water as it runs off the parking lot, and it runs through a multitude of moisture tolerant plants," he said.

Marks acknowledged that the borough could not carry out all of the projects in one year, which is why he will plan projects in phases in order to maximize grant money.

One of the projects that would be considered for the future is building a pavilion building on site.

"We could have a fairly large open space here on site that is covered," Marks said. "We could have family reunions, barbeques, picnics, things like that.

"It is something we'd like to do, but we would consider that in a separate phase."

Many of the Pop Warner parents attended the meeting to request that the funds be used for lighting for the football fields.

Marks unsuccessfully tried to diffuse those questions before they were even asked.

"Yes, we considered lighting," he said. "The way we look at this is we'd like to max out the grant total."

Marks said that the estimate for the current project is around $500,000, and adding lighting would push the project past that amount.

"Right now, we are at about $500,000," he said. "If we were to add lighting, it might be another $200,000 to $300,000. We'd lose the bang for our buck and we would out pace the grant," he said.

Marks went on to say that lighting for football is in the future plans.

"I think it's an excellent project," he said. "I just think it's a subsequent phase. And we could go after the county funding again and they could fund 50 percent of that project."

However the largely pro-Pop Warner crowd pleaded with the council to jumpstart the project this year.

Monmouth Falcons Pop Warner serves Tinton Falls, Eatontown, Shrewsbury Township, Fort Monmouth and Earle Naval Weapons Station. Vice President John Cahill tried to explain the position Pop Warner is in.

"I think some of the problems we've had in the past with that park have been the fact that Eatontown is not sharing some of the burden of cost and that Eatontown children play on there," Cahill said, adding that another issue is the surface area of the parking lot.

"The initial reason why we are coming to this meeting is because I was under the impression we are going to improve the parking lot by putting in pavement," he said. "Right now when it's dry it's like a sandstorm, when it gets wet it's a mud pit."

Cahill said he would also like to see improvements made on the field.

"Look at what the children are playing on in practice," he said. "The field itself needs some improvement, as far as dirt and better drainage."

Cahill also charged that Pop Warner is treated worse than other sports, specifically citing soccer.

"We've paid for a lot of the items we have as far as an organization," he said. "I just think we have to look at what the whole site is.

"I think football is being put at on very, very long list of to-dos," he added.

Tinton Falls Administrator Bryan Dempsey responded to the criticism.

"The last round of funding that this borough has put in was for Pop Warner," he said. "It was for bleachers and the concession stand. We've really pushed forward and gotten things that you wanted," he said.

Dempsey also said that the situation with the soccer complex is different from this one.

"The soccer complex was built with an off-track improvement from the developer," he said. "And then the borough went out and got funding for those lights. It's not like the borough has spent $2 million on the soccer complex."

Also critical of the plan was resident Robert Caizza.

"We are looking for lighting," Caizza said. "We don't want the tot park where parking is.

"The cars are coming in and out, it's dangerous to them," he added. "The tot park should be on the other side of the park where the baseball field is."

Caizza said he would like to see any improvements possible to the football situation.

"Whether we are getting grants from the county, whether we are getting grants from the state, the football field has been established here," he said. "It's not a football field without lights.

"The kids need the lights here," he added. "Whether it's coming from the open space grant, whether we put in a referendum to the town and ask them whether or not we need lighting here."

However Marks said the county would not approve the funding unless the project could serve multiple functions.

"We need to have a balance with the needs," he said. "I can't come in and create a parking lot instead of a recreational use. I can submit it, but they'd never approve it," he added.

At the end of the half-hour-plus public discussion, Council President Duane Morrill promised to try to work with Pop Warner to reach a middle ground.

"We know what you're looking for and we're going to work with you," he said.

Borough Clerk Karen Mount-Taylor confirmed last week that a meeting between the borough and representatives of the Pop Warner organization took place Sept. 16 and a revised plan will be submitted this week.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com


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