T.F. revises grant bid for recreation complex

T.F. revises grant bid for recreation complex
Lights added for practice field; tot lot dropped
BY KENNY WALTER Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS — The borough has revised plans for an open space grant application to include lighting on football fields at the Liberty Park II recreation complex.

Council chambers were filled several rows deep with cheerleaders and football players and their parents for the Sept. 15 council meeting.

The crowd was there to hear discussion of an application for grant funding from the Monmouth County Open Space program, which had a Sept. 23 deadline.

During the council meeting, Borough Engineer David Marks, of T&M Associates, presented plans for the grant application for the Liberty Park II sports complex located on West Park Avenue.

The plan originally presented included additional parking spaces, an extension of the sidewalk, an additional playground designed for younger children, a picnic area and additional lighting for the parking lot.

Several parents involved in the Pop Warner youth football program spoke out against the application at the Sept. 15 Borough Council meeting, arguing the money would be better used for lighting on the two football fields.

After a meeting between representatives of Pop Warner and the borough, a compromise was reached on the application.

Borough Administrator W. Bryan Dempsey discussed the final draft of the application in an interview on Oct. 1.

Dempsey said the application submitted Sept. 23 included lighting for the practice field, rain gardens for the parking lot, a picnic area, fitness stations and additional parking.

Dempsey said that there will be a new 50-space parking lot, which will include a new access driveway. Plans also call for the sidewalk to be extended into the middle of the park.

"One of the main problems we've had is the parking problem," Marks said during his original presentation. "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."

The addition of the lighting for the practice field made it necessary for something from the original draft to be eliminated.

"The tot lot's out," Dempsey said. "The tot lot went, and basically the lights went in there."

The total project would cost about $500,000. The county would match funds with the borough up to $250,000 if the plan that Marks submits is approved.

Dempsey said that if the application is not approved by the county, the application would be brought back to the Borough Council and can either be approved, scaled back or dropped completely.

"We are looking for a $500,000 application," he said. "If they don't approve it, then it goes back to the council, and the council would have to decide if they wanted to do anything.

"We might not do anything," he added. "There is nothing that binds them to do this.

"The county could say we are going to grant you $200,000 and we'd have to scale it out if we had to or go out to bid as is and maybe have some alternates," he continued.

Dempsey also said that the application is estimated at $500,000 but may come in less than that and the borough can add to the project.

"If we got awarded the $250,000, it could be maybe this comes in less than the $500,000 and we could add something else," Dempsey said.

Dempsey explained that the borough plans to put lights on the practice field, as opposed to the field that football games are played on, because the practice field is used more.

"The reason for the practice lights is that you have more use on the practice field than you would on the game field," he said. "Their games are every other week.

"If you have a 10-game season, then you have five games on the home field," he added. "If it's on the practice field, then you could use it more."

The field is primarily used for football, but Dempsey said that other sports are allowed to use it.

"If there is something going on in the spring time and another sport wants to use it, then they have a field that has lights," he said.

According to Marks, the complex is 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.

Dempsey said that he received an e-mail from Pop Warner President Rick Farrah supporting the revised proposal.

"To my knowledge, Pop Warner supports this," Dempsey said.

Monmouth Falcons Pop Warner serves Tinton Falls, Eatontown, Shrewsbury Township, Fort Monmouth and Naval Weapons Station Earle.

Contact Kenny Walter at

kwalter@gmnews.com.