Committee hears proposal for a shadier entrance
By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
The township is moving forward with plans to add a pergola, benches and more trees and landscaping to the front of the municipal building to make it more inviting for residents.
”We are trying to make it more of a civic open space,” said Tom Biro, landscape architect, who volunteered to draw up designs for the project. “There is no place for people to gather right now.”
According to Mr. Biro, who presented his design plans at the Aug. 14 Township Committee meeting, he would like to create a meeting place in front for those coming to the municipal building either for events, to visit the library or to take care of any business.
”The problem now is that there is a large open space that is just used for parking and going inside,” he said.
One of the most important changes, Mr. Biro said, is to create some shade in the front because the building right now is very exposed to the sun. He said he would like to put in ornamental trees that would block the sun from hitting the front of the building and would, instead, allow for shade for people coming in and out.
According to Councilman Paul Drake, they are also looking to create a tree memorial for George Fenwick, a former member of the Tree Mitigation Council, who passed away from leukemia in February.
”He is very fitting for a memorial,” Mr. Drake said. “He was a lifelong resident and contributed a great deal to the township.”
Aside from adding more trees to the area, Mr. Biro said he is looking to build a pergola with seats that look out into the existing lawn at the building. In this area, he said, he can also create some perennial gardens, and other spaces for plants and trees.
”A lawn area could also be a place to host events,” he said. “We are trying to create different areas for the people.”
Mr. Biro said he is also hoping to design spaces for local artists to show off some of their work, as well as a nearby kiosk with news items.
”There is not a whole lot of civic space at the municipal building right now,” Mr. Drake said. “But we have everything here, a senior center, a library, everything.”
Mr. Drake said the final consideration for the project would be to add a fountain, but this would be the most costly piece and probably would not be completed until the end of the renovation if they chose to go ahead with it.
The next step, according to Mr. Drake, will be to finalize cost estimates for the entire project, before sending it out to bid. He said he believes a rough estimate of the cost of the project will bring it to about $15,000. The project itself will be funded by the township’s Tree Mitigation Fund, which gets money from developer contributions.
”We will be using resources we already have, rather than wasting the taxpayers’ money,” he said. “The tree fund cannot be used for anything other than this kind of purpose.”
Mr. Drake said the township is hoping to begin the project as early as the fall, to begin planting the trees and adding in new benches. He said they are hoping to complete as much as possible before winter, and then they can finish the project by the spring.
”The municipal building really doesn’t have usable space right now because it has direct exposure to the sun,” he said. “With the new library and senior center, more and more people are drawn to the building and we want to have a real attractive place out front.”

