EATONTOWN — The long-delayed construction by the Pop Warner organization of a new storage facility for its practice field at the Meadowbrook School just got delayed again.
The Board of Education, at its March 21 meeting, directed the Pop Warner organization to postpone the start of construction from the planned April 1 to May 1.
Board President Charles H. "Skip" Fischer said Paul Desmond, principal of the Meadowbrook School, had asked that no construction activity take place during the last two weeks of April when students will be taking tests because he didn’t want any distractions.
Fischer reported Desmond said that the Pop Warner organization could begin construction April 1 as planned, but that it would have to vacate the school grounds, including the removal of all equipment, for the two weeks of the tests.
After some discussion, the board decided that to avoid all risk of interference with the school, the Pop Warner organization would be directed to delay the start of construction until May 1 or later.
By starting construction April 1, the Pop Warner organization had hoped to finish building the facility by the end of July in time for practice for the fall football season. The structure will be 50 by 50 feet and will contain two equipment storage rooms, a meeting room and two bathrooms.
The Pop Warner organization now uses an old Army Quonset hut to store its equipment.
The board was told the Pop Warner organization is beginning to show irritation at the board continuing to dot the i’s and cross the t’s in their deal.
In a letter dated March 15 to Rick Farrah of the Pop Warner organization, the Board of Education listed 15 points it must abide by related to the facility.
One point directed the Pop Warner organization to reimburse the Board of Education for the electric light bills for the previous two years in the amount of $2,673.85 by June 30, and to make sure all future electric bills for the field be sent to Pop Warner.
Another specifies that during construction, the school superintendent or principal be notified prior to any building activities taking place during the school day. Still another directs that a copy of the certificate of occupancy will be given to the Board of Education before the building is used. The Pop Warner organization also was ordered to inform any other organization that might want to use the facility that it must fill out a building-use form which must be approved by the Board of Education prior to any activity taking place.
The Board of Education also directed the Pop Warner organization to "vigorously campaign" to the borough to assist it in the solving of parking and traffic problems, and to inform the board of its progress in this regard.
Efforts to reach Farrah for comment were unsuccessful.