MILLSTONE – Officials in Millstone Township have authorized a decrease in the amount of a contract covering the first phase of work at Millstone Park, a 186-acre recreation facility that will be developed on Red Valley Road.
On Oct. 4, Township Committee members passed a resolution authorizing a change order in the contract that was awarded to Meco Inc. for the site work and grading of Millstone Park during its first phase of development. The change order decreased the contract to $3.382 million.
The contract that was awarded to Meco Inc. in late 2016 totaled $3.42 million. Two previous change orders decreasing the amount of the contract were also authorized by the committee this year.
The first change order, authorized by a resolution in March, reduced the contract from $3.42 million to $3.4 million, a $26,010 decrease. According to the resolution, the first change order was made as a result of the township reducing the scope of the project’s curing, drainage and lighting, and including existing drainage structure repairs at the park’s lake with the project.
The second change order, authorized by a resolution in September, reduced the contract from $3.4 million to $3.383 million, a $17,856 decrease. According to the resolution, the second change order was made as a result of the township requiring changes to the project’s storm water design, lighting and well.
The third and most recent change order authorized a $1,000 decrease in the contract to reduce it to its current amount, $3.382 million. The revision was made as a result of changes to the storm water design and soil condition, according to the October resolution.
According to municipal officials, the first phase of the park’s development will involve site work and grading, the construction of a park building and the installation of lighting on three general purpose fields.
In addition to Meco, the committee awarded a $497,000 contract to JNP Excavating for the construction of the park building and a $532,000 contract to Quality Electrical for the installation of lighting on the three playing fields.
The committee adopted an ordinance in 2016 appropriating $4.5 million for the first phase of improvements at Millstone Park and authorizing the issuance of $3.3 million in bonds or notes to finance part of the appropriation prior to awarding the contracts.
Township officials have said Millstone Park will have nine general purpose fields which can be used by any sports program. Six fields are planned to have lights.
The infrastructure work on the lighting of the first three fields will eventually allow lighting to be installed on three adjacent fields without destroying the surface of the playing fields, according to township officials.
The park building will have restrooms and a kitchen serving facility, but no stoves, according to a plan that was discussed earlier this year. Cooking will be provided by a portable food cart which will be placed adjacent to the building as needed.
Other features at Millstone Park are expected to include a trail that can be used for walking, jogging and horseback riding, and a boat-accessible pond that can be used for fishing and irrigation, according to township officials.
At present, the only location that is accessible to boats in Millstone Township is Perrineville Lake on Sweetmans Lane.
Officials said they do not expect Millstone Park to be in use until the fall of 2018.