By Stephen Appezzato
LINCROFT – The Middletown Township Committee on Monday introduced an ordinance to acquire the 15.4-acre former Lincroft Presbyterian Church property, located at 270 Everett Road, across from West Front Street Park. The move comes a year after the church closed its ministry and merged with First Presbyterian Church in Matawan.
“I’m very proud to make a motion to introduce this ordinance and to preserve this great property for the purposes of open space and the use in the future, and to prevent development from occurring on this lot,” said Middletown Mayor Tony Perry at the June 16 meeting. “It’s a win for everybody, it’s a win for Lincroft, it’s a win for Middletown, it’s a win for everybody who believes that a property like that should be preserved,” he said. The ordinance authorizes an agreement to purchase the site for open space purposes for $5.2 million, with 75% of the cost covered by the Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund. The township would cover the remaining $1.3 million, using its Open Space Trust funds. The public hearing and adoption vote on the deal is slated for July 14.
“The township is spending 25%, just like we did for Mater Dei,” Perry said. In April, the township green-lighted a deal with the Parish of St. Mary to purchase the 20-acre former Mater Dei Prep property using Open Space Trust funds, with the county covering 75% of the $11.75 million purchase.
Perry also extended his gratitude to the congregation.
“To the Lincroft Presbyterian Church, thank you so much. Thanks for preserving that land; (we) really appreciate it. It’s going to be a great use, and the fact that it’s going to have future use educating our kids, having young families come there, seeing the soccer that’s occurring right across at that West Front Street Park – that’s the Middletown that we’re looking to keep, that’s the Middletown that we’re working to preserve,” Perry said.
“Rather than that church being knocked down and that history being soon forgotten after, it’ll be preserved forever,” he said.
The move was met with strong support from township committee members, including Ryan Clarke, who has personal ties to the site.
“That property has been a part of my family for a very long time. My grandparents were parishioners there many, many, many moons ago,” Clarke, who attended school at the church building as a child, said. “It’s neat to see it being preserved and a portion of my life being preserved at the same time, so thank you for working with us. We really appreciate it.”
Deputy Mayor Rick Hibell also praised the acquisition and broader open space efforts across Middletown. “The acquisitions that we have been making in the last six months has just been amazing, and it’s paving the way for the future of open space in this town,” Hibell said.
Further details and an opportunity for public comment are expected at the committee’s July 14 meeting, when they will vote on the acquisition.
Kunkel Park Update
Also during Monday’s meeting, the township committee turned its attention to the future of Bill Kunkel Memorial Park in Leonardo. Janet Dellett, the township’s director of Parks and Recreation, presented an updated proposal for significant improvements to the park as part of Middletown’s application for the 2025 Monmouth County Open Space Grant program.
“The project I’m proposing focuses on Kunkel Park, a much-loved recreational space in our community that’s long overdue for some attention,” Dellett said. “As someone who spends a lot of time in our parks and hears from residents regularly, I know how important this park is, not just for organized sports, but for casual play, walking and community gathering.”
The township previously applied for a grant in 2024 to fund improvements at Kunkel Park but was not selected. With revisions and renewed support, the township is again seeking funding from the county program, which this year is budgeted at $6 million, offering up to $500,000 per project.
The proposed $2.1 million project includes substantial upgrades, including a natural grass outfield baseball and softball field with open-concept covered dugouts, home run fencing and new scoreboard and bleachers; two new tennis courts; two new pickleball courts; a new playground; and a new perimeter walking path.
Dellett also noted that the township has a strong track record of success with similar county grants, having secured funding for improvements to Bodman Park, McMahon Park, Normandy Park and Croydon Hall in recent years.
During the public comment period of the meeting, Leonardo resident Scott McPherson voiced his support. “It looks like a great idea and improvement upon the current Kunkel Park.”
“The only thing I didn’t see in there that I would like to suggest is shade – the area is pretty open, there’s not a lot of trees,” especially around the proposed playground area. “If there was some shade sort of structure over some picnic tables, I think that would really help bring community members into the park,” he noted.
If the grant is awarded, township officials plan to rededicate the park in honor of Bill Kunkel, a longtime Leonardo resident and former Major League Baseball pitcher and professional umpire.
The article originally appeared in the June 19 – 25, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
