Newest county park set for Holmdel, Rumson receives open space grant
By Stephen Appezzato
HOLMDEL and RUMSON – Monmouth County is known for its green space and two towns are about to get greener: A 62.5-acre forested parcel will be preserved and turned into the newest county park in Holmdel while Rumson has received a grant to renovate Meadow Ridge Park.
Holmdel – Pleasant Valley County park
The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners recently authorized a $4.93 million land purchase from Kilcummins-Dover Properties LLC to acquire the space located off Route 34, adjoining the Holmdel and Marlboro municipal boundaries.
The small forest will become Pleasant Valley County Park and will initially include hiking trails and a small parking lot.
According to Andrew Spears, director of the Monmouth County Park System, the hope is to open the space to visitors sometime in late 2024 or early 2025.
Currently the county is halfway through the purchase process. A title and environmental assessment of the land must occur before the deal concludes, which “could take six to nine months,” said Spears.
The property contains “a lot of native trees and plentiful wildlife,” Spears said. “We think that visitors would really enjoy being able to explore the environment there.”
The $4.93 million that will be spent to acquire the land comes from the Monmouth County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust.
County commissioner and liaison to the Monmouth County Park System Ross Licitra said the deal will “protect important wildlife habitat and provide a new opportunity for residents to hike and enjoy their natural surroundings.”
“The commissioners realize that hiking and other outdoor fitness activities are important to county residents. Trails in the county parks regularly rank as the most popular park amenity. Once acquired, the county will work to provide access to this beautiful tract,” Licitra said.
Rumson – Meadow Ridge
Across the Navesink, Rumson officials announced plans to overhaul Meadow Ridge Park.
According to the borough, a proposal to construct a state-of-the-art playground, exercise area and parking lot redesign at Meadow Ridge is in the engineering phase. The town expects to break ground next summer.
Mayor Joseph Hemphill said the project has been on the borough’s radar for some time now.
But after being awarded $331,000 from the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, the pace is picking up. “It’s an incredibly important project for us,” Hemphill said. The “staple” park in the Two River community is frequented by many. For years the array of soccer and baseball fields, running track and playground has served countless visitors. “These improvements will not only improve the overall experience at this wonderful park, but it will also improve the safety of those utilizing the park grounds on a daily basis,” Hemphill added.
The parking lot redesign will include 40 new spaces, improved safety measures and even a bus entrance and exit loop. According to Commissioner Director Thomas Arnone, “inclusive playground equipment,” new walkways, “picnic tables, benches and other amenities” will also be built.
In total, the project costs are expected to exceed $800,000. The money will be drawn from the county Municipal Open Space Grant (MOSG), designed to support boroughs in making necessary park improvements and improving recreation offerings for residents.
Arnone described the award as “a great example of how Monmouth County partners with our municipalities to provide in credible resources for our residents.”
For the 2023 MOSG program, each project can be awarded up to $500,000 of a $6 million grant pool – an increase from $2 million set aside in previous years.
According to the borough, the planning stage will be comprehensive. Multiple departments will offer input on the additions, specifically the Recreation Department. The impact on recreation operations will be minimal during the construction stage and heading into the fall 2024 community sports season.
The Meadow Ridge Park parking lot also serves the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a Temporary Debris Management Area (TDMA), where storm and weather event debris collected from roads are stored. The borough will incorporate this DEP approval in its project plans to ensure Meadow Ridge Park remains a TDMA.
As the project progresses, the borough council will award contracts to professionals to complete the work through a bidding process.
Project updates will be provided at rumsonnj.gov/engineering.
The article originally appeared in the October 26 – November 1, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
