First phase to cost $291,350
By:Carl Reader
LAMBERTVILLE The City Council gave final approval to an ordinance providing a supplemental appropriation of $116,350 for financing the first phase of the reconstruction of Ely Memorial Field and then accepted a bid of $105,330 from Jonaco Inc. to begin the work.
"We’re $9,000 ahead of the game with this bid," said Mayor David Del Vecchio.
The council introduced an ordinance June 24 to approve a new total of $291,350 to be spent on the Ely Field reconstruction. That figure was the estimated cost of the project after restructuring of the plans. The restructuring became necessary after the first bids for the project came in too high. Originally, the council set aside $175,000 for the project, but bids received in May came in twice as high as expected; the two received were for $350,000 and more than $500,000.
Just $45,000 of the restructured project is scheduled to be funded with tax dollars, but additional funds are being sought so taxpayers will have no burden of payment in this project.
"We’re waiting to hear from Baseball Tomorrow," Mr. Del Vecchio said.
The city is looking to obtain a Baseball Tomorrow grant from Major League Baseball for $40,000, but it is going to have to come up with more money before the second phase of the project can go forward. The city also is looking for corporate donations, private donations and educational funding.
The money approved by the council Aug. 8 becomes available the first week in September, according to Mr. Del Vecchio.
"What’s the schedule now?" he asked.
Kendra Lelie, planner for Scangarello and Associates, said the city would have to sign the contracts for the project. There is a 60-day period to get the project going then, according to Ms. Lelie. The Fleet Wing Fire Company carnival running this week at Ely grounds has to leave town, and then the project has to be marked out on the grounds.
"So you’re talking September and October, perhaps the end of October," Mrs. Lelie said.
That means students at Lambertville Public School will be unable to use the field for recess during the first few months of school.
The first phase of the project includes the parking lot, curbs, sidewalks, grading and seeding. The second phase includes the backstop, dugouts, stands and fence. The cost of that is estimated to be $99,350.
The third phase would put in the playground equipment. That equipment includes jungle gyms and a slide and is handicapped-accessible. Approved already for the equipment is $53,000.
The rest of the $291,350 includes $25,000 for engineering and design services. The tax impact of the project for the $45,000, should the city not find additional financing, is scheduled to be paid for with taxes and works out to about $20 per household, perhaps a little more with interest, according to Mr. Del Vecchio. That leaves about $245,000 to be paid for by grants and private funding.
"It’s not a complicated job, this first phase of it," Mrs. Lelie said.
Thirty thousand dollars for the first phase came from the Urban Development Grant Action Committee, $50,000 from the state Department of Community Affairs, $12,000 from Carbo Constructors and $23,000 from a state Department of Transportation payment for an easement.
Some sort of ceremony might be planned for the opening of work, according to Barbara Fordyce of the city Recreation Committee. Something might be worked out with the school to have children help rake wood chips for a first-day opening.
"We’re excited to get started," Mrs. Fordyce said.