An aerial photo shows the outline of the proposed 21-acre Manahassett Creek Park in Long Branch. The project, which is being designed by D.W. Smith, of Lakewood, will include sports fields, a playground, a nature area and trail, bocce court and picnic area. Long Branch acquires Lemco
property for 21-acre sports park site
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer
The largest park project to be constructed in Long Branch is in the works.The new park will add recreational facilities now missing in the city, according to Jacob Jones, the city’s director of community development.
“We have a lot of passive parks in the city,” Jones said earlier this week. “We are looking to create an active park with a focus on soccer, football and softball fields.”
The Manahassett Creek Park Development Project will be constructed on roughly 21 acres of land in the northern part of the city.
The site is bordered to the north by Manahassett Creek, to the south by Hairsdale Avenue, on the east by Long Branch Avenue, and on the west by Narragansett Avenue.
“This is truly going to be a stunning park. Everyone who visits it is going to be ‘wowed,’ ” said Victor J. Coppola.
Coppola is director of environmental services for D.W. Smith Associates, Lakewood, which was awarded $156,400 for the design of the project in January.
D.W. Smith was chosen from a group of more than 20 firms because “the firm shared a similar vision with city officials for the site,” said city Financial Director Ronald Mehlhorn.
The city has bonded up to $5.2 million for the project, according to Mehlhorn, who said that in December the city acquired the final 12 acres of vacant property, located off Long Branch Avenue, for $3.45 million from the Ohio-based Lemco Associates Ltd., known locally as the Lemco property.
The Lemco site had some environmental issues, according to Jones, who said Lemco Associates remediated the area prior to the city purchasing the property and the city has since received Department of Environmental Protection approval for the project.
Mehlhorn said the city previously acquired the first 9 acres of land for the project — the city already owned 7 acres and then purchased four properties on the final 2 acres of land for $4.8 million.
The 21-acre site, once the site of an electric company, is currently comprised of vacant land and wetland areas and has been vacant land for years, according to Jones.
“There were no takings of properties involved in this project,” he said. “The town bought these properties at fair market values.”
The project is still in the beginning phases, according to Coppola, who said an update was held during the workshop session of the Planning Board meeting on May 17 to keep the public involved in the process.
“The city is keeping the lines of communication open with the residents,” Coppola said. “The residents have been a part of the process from the beginning and have even designed a wish list of what they would like to see in the park.”
Jones said that several meetings have been held with residents to find out what the community wanted to see in the park, but residents also discussed concerns they have with the project.
One issue is the current drainage problems in the area of the new park site.
“The site currently has drainage problems and the city will spend extra money to eradicate the problem,” Jones said. “We will improve current conditions for homeowners and condominium owners in the area.”
The city held several public meetings and conducted surveys with residents to get an idea of what the community wanted to see at the site, according to Coppola, who said the city’s wish list includes several all-purpose sporting fields, a children’s playground, a nature area and trail, basketball courts, softball and baseball fields, a bocce ball court, a picnic area, a roller-hockey rink, small concession buildings and an all-purpose recreation building.
“We are probably not going to be able to include the entire wish list,” Coppola said.
The park is scheduled to be completed in a little over two years, according to Coppola, who said that right now he is waiting for paperwork to be complete to find out the actual boundaries of the project.
“There are so many small parcels of property, so we are waiting for everything to be pulled together,” he said.
“In about four to six weeks, we should have a base map with the boundaries of the project and any environmental constraints at the site.”
The project will be conducted in about three phases, according to Jones, who said the first phase will roughly cost $1.5 million and will prepare the land for the project.
The second phase will consist of constructing the sporting fields, and the third phase will include the construction of any facilities at the site. Jones added that cost estimates have not been determined for the final two phases at this time.
Coppola said that once the design of the project is complete, his firm will put together engineering plans and assist the city in putting the project out for bid, which he anticipates will be around January.
He said if everything goes as planned, construction on the project could begin as early as next spring.

