UPPER FREEHOLD: Town bats around Reed Park proposal

By Jessica Noll, Special Writer
   UPPER FREEHOLD — Faced with a June 25 deadline for accepting or declining a $250,000 county grant, the Township Committee is expected to try to reach a consensus tonight (March 1) on how to proceed with the Reed Park project.
   The Monmouth County open space grant requires Upper Freehold to provide $250,000 in municipal matching funds. Township Engineer Glenn Gerken submitted environmental permit applications to the state on Feb. 15 to get the ball rolling on the project, but the Township Committee has not made a final decision on whether to move forward with the project as proposed or scale it back.
   At the Feb. 16 meeting, Township Business Administrator Dianne Kelly asked if the Township Committee would rather make piecemeal upgrades to the park or do the more comprehensive $1.3 million development project. For about $595,000, the township can build paved parking lots and drainage basins and relocate a softball field out of wetlands. The higher $1.3 million price tag would provide a well, septic, indoor toilets, a concession building, veterans memorial and other amenities.
   The five members of the Township Committee made no decision in the discussion that followed, but at least one member of the governing body appeared not to be on board with any development of the site at all. Committeeman Bob Faber said he thought the lacrosse fields and softball field planned for Reed Park, which is located at the Route 526 bypass near Allentown, should be placed elsewhere.
   ”I’ve heard a lot in the last two weeks; that it shouldn’t go next to the park, but next to the golf course field,” Mr. Faber said, referring to 40 acres the township owns next to the Cream Ridge Golf Course.
   Mr. Faber said developing Reed Park could end up benefiting Allentown residents more than Upper Freehold residents. His comments provoked a flurry of responses from his fellow committee members and others.
   The township-owned tract of property near the golf course, which is now leased to a farmer, has obstacles to its development because it is contaminated with arsenic, Mayor LoriSue Mount pointed out.
   ”To clarify, (the area) near the golf course needs to be remediated,” Mrs. Mount said.
   Township Committeeman Steve Alexander said, the town “can’t just go build on it without testing.”
   Committeeman Robert Frascella said, “Remediation would cost millions.”
   Township Attorney Granville Magee said if the arsenic at the site is naturally occurring and less than 20 parts per million, the township would only have to blend the soil in order to remediate it.
   In an interview after the meeting, Township Committeeman Stanley Moslowski Jr. said a lot of time and effort has been spent over the past few years developing a concept plan for Reed Park, and the project should move forward.
   ”After four years, we need to do something (with Reed Park),” Mr. Moslowski said. “We want to get started as soon as we can. We want to build the park. The majority of the committee would like to move forward.”
   The state Department of Environmental Protection now must review the permit application and decide whether to OK the development plans. Mr. Gerken submitted plans for the larger $1.3 million project to give the town the most flexibility.
   Mr. Moslowski said he thought the committee should seek bids on the larger, more comprehensive building project because the economy has been slow and there might be more competition among bidders, resulting in a better deal for the town.
   ”I think we will land somewhere in between” the original $1.3 million design and the $595,000 basic development plan, he said.
   Asked about Mr. Faber’s comment about nonresidents using Reed Park, Mr. Moslowski said he thought everyone should be able to enjoy it.
   ”If someone is using the park, that is good,” especially if it is right around the corner from their home, Mr. Moslowski said.