Project won’t happen in 2007
By Nick NorlenStaff Writer
A potential cost increase will delay the construction of the skateboard park planned for Hilltop Park on Bunn Drive in Princeton Township.
At Thursday’s Princeton Joint Recreation Board meeting, Recreation Department Executive Director Jack Roberts estimated that the project could be $75,000 short due to design expansions made since the original cost estimate of at least $300,000 was issued.
"The bad news is we’re not going to have this done, quite obviously, this year," he said. "We’re going to have to shoot for next year."
The skate park has been planned with two areas: a "street" course with rails and a bowl-shaped area.
But since concrete cost totals are needed before any concrete can be poured, the next step will be to receive the final plans from California-based design consultant SITE Group Inc., hired by the township in 2006, Mr. Roberts said.
"Once we get those completed, we will go to bid because we’ve really got to get a hard bid from somebody," he said.
Mr. Roberts said the 90-percent-complete design is expected any day, with complete plans due in about a month, he said.
Mr. Robert said he hopes to put the project out to bid by Nov. 15.
In 2006, the borough and the township each dedicated $125,000 to fund the park in their respective 2006 capital budgets.
A Mercer County grant that followed was intended to cover the balance of the original $300,000 estimate.
But Recreation Department Program Supervisor Katie Herlihy said Thursday that costs are expected to rise because the project will likely cover a total area of approximately 12,000 square feet — compared to the original estimate of 8,500 square feet.
The increase in square footage comes as a result of the decision to move the basketball court, which was originally supposed to be straddled by the park, she said.
"We’re getting everything the community and the kids wanted, it’s just a little bigger," she said.
Mr. Roberts said the current proposal came as a result from community input gathered from the two public workshops held by the department.
"We’re trying to respond to the community as best we can," he said.
Moreover, the expansion is "about safety issues and flow issues as much as everything else," he said.
However, Borough Councilman Andrew Koontz, the board’s borough liaison and head of the Princeton Parks Alliance, said securing extra funding to cover the increased cost could be a challenge.
Although Mr. Roberts said Township Engineer Bob Kiser has advised against phasing the project, Mr. Koontz said the board should consider doing so.
"Because I think going back to the governing bodies for money is going to be a hard sell," Mr. Koontz said. The reason why the cost has gone up is because the scope of the project has increased — bottom line," he added, noting the additional coverage and the bowl feature not included in the initial concept.
Nevertheless, Mr. Roberts said that other funding sources are being explored.
He said the Recreation Department and the Princeton Parks Alliance have been in communication with Princeton University about a possible contribution to the project.
However, he said university officials are hesitant to contribute funding "until they see skateboarders moving from their campus to our skateboard park."
He added, "It seems silly to them to donate to this if in fact it’s not going to reduce damage that’s done on the university campus."
Mr. Roberts said the department is also looking into the possibility of reducing costs by enlisting help from the Public Works Department and by applying for a grant from the Tony Hawk Foundation, which supports public skate parks in low-income communities, even though Princeton does not fit the profile of towns eligible for funds.
"All of these are bits and pieces of what we’re looking at to get this done," he said.

