UF officials consider presentation on proposed recreation complex

By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
   UPPER FREEHOLD — Officials might be hearing the adage “If you build it, they will come” echoing in their heads as they decide this month whether to proceed with building a new recreation complex off Route 526.
   Township Committee last week heard a presentation from the Recreation Committee and CMX engineer Patrick Jeffery regarding the development of the Reed property for much-needed recreation fields.
   Mr. Jeffery said Monday that a proposal for design services and a rough cost estimate would likely be given to Township Committee at its Oct. 16 meeting. From there, he said, the committee would decide whether to proceed with the project.
   The 30-acre site, located near Hope Fire Company Station on Route 526, is an open space parcel. There currently is one softball field with a temporary backstop and limited parking, Mr. Jeffery said.
   The committee and engineer’s concept plan shifts the existing field and adds another, which could be used by softball or Little League teams. The dugouts would be fenced in and temporary fencing would be placed in the outfield so the area could be used in the off-season for other sports, Mr. Jeffery said.
   The township currently has two other recreation facilities: Byron Johnson Recreation Area on Ellisdale Road and Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex on the corner of Ellisdale and Old York roads.
   Steve Murphy, Recreation Committee chairman, said “at least four good-sized utilities fields” also would be developed at the Reed site, which would give flexibility to the lacrosse, football and soccer programs and accommodate overflow at the current complexes. He added the property also might be used for pickup games and family outings.
   A concession building with bathrooms, storage facility and patio area would be constructed at the site, as well as an L-shaped parking lot with 176 spaces, according to the plan. A cul-de-sac in the parking area would serve as a turnaround for drivers and allow for deliveries to the buildings. The engineer noted the only lighting on the property would be in the parking lot, for security purposes.
   The concept plan proposes a stormwater infiltration basin only in the parking lot, and an irrigation system for the fields. Mr. Jeffery said the township could consider a Mini-Weather Station, which controls sprinklers based on the weather and would not waste water on the fields if it had recently rained.
   The site also would utilize a vegetative buffer with split-rail fencing between the property and Route 526, according to the plan. A walking trail around the perimeter might be developed for recreation and for disable individuals who might not be able to traverse the fields otherwise, the engineer added.
   Mr. Jeffery said nothing about the concept plan is set in stone, but recommended against phasing the project because it would drive up both construction and administrative costs.
   ”To be honest, this project really isn’t that large. Of the 30 acres, maybe half of it will be touched,” he said. “The longer it goes on, the more money you’re going to pay that’s not even going to be going toward the fields or your rec program.”
   The only difficulty involved with the project, Mr. Jeffery said, is a swale that bisects the property and is considered wetlands. He said the Department of Environmental Protection will need to survey and delineate that area, and a buffer will be provided. He also noted the soil there has been tested and is clean.