By Stephen Appezzato
TINTON FALLS – At a recent borough council meeting, the governing body introduced two ordinances that would appropriate more than $7 million for park and road upgrades.
Two park projects alone will require $3 million.
The first is all about equality – improving the Sycamore Recreation Complex to create two new softball fields – a project championed by the borough’s little league and softball groups. Until now, Tinton Falls softball teams have not had a dedicated home field.
The project has been “a slow and positive process,” according to Chris Amato, president of Tinton Falls softball and vice president of the town’s little league. Amato, along with Dan Trump, Brian Gnos, Allie Mahoney, Sherri Eisele and Angie Swaroop, were committed to bringing it to the borough.
“When we took over (the little league) a few years ago, it was our mission to make sure that our daughters, our players, had equal opportunity that the boys have, a place to call home and not have to travel away for every home game and a place where the community can come together,” Amato said. “Really that’s what it’s all about – giving them those experiences that will be fond memories.”
One of the new fields will be a traditional grass and clay park, while the other will be full synthetic turf.
“We’re really excited to be breaking ground soon and giving our girls the same opportunity that the boys have,” Amato said. Borough engineer Thomas Neff also expressed support for this project, saying the borough intends “to provide equal facilities for the boys and the girls programs.”The second park project will focus on Wardell Park, constructing a restroom building and utility extensions.
A state Department of Community Affairs grant of $74,000 will help pay for the park upgrades.
The other initiative, a road overhaul project, will improve 22 different streets throughout the borough and include paving, curb, sidewalk and drainage improvements, according to Neff. “This will be the largest road program in recent memory, in at least the last 10 years that I’ve been involved. It’s going to be over 5 miles of roads that will be paved,” said Neff.
The borough will pay for the improvements through a combination of bonds and grants. One of the two ordinances will issue $3.6 million in bonds for the project, while approximately $380,000 will come from a New Jersey Department of Transportation grant as well as a Community Development Block Grant from the county. The grant funds will be put toward improving Essex and Wardell roads.
According to Neff, “These roads are in need of repair.” Many of the borough’s roads show cracking pavement which means they are beginning to fail.
“We want to get ahead of it and mill and pave these roads before the condition gets worse and it will cost more to do a full reconstruction on all of them,” Neff explained.
If the ordinances are passed, the design stage will occur this year with construction slated for 2024.
The governing body will hold a final vote on the two ordinances at a future council meeting.
The article originally appeared in the July 20 – 26, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
