A farm-themed playground is planned for the Walz Park property as homage to the old farm that existed on the 60-plus acres just north of Shark River Road. Courtesy Tinton Falls
By Sunayana Prabhu
TINTON FALLS – In a move to modernize municipal infrastructure while maintaining fiscal discipline, Tinton Falls has unveiled a nearly $9.15 million capital improvement plan for 2025 that promises to transform the borough’s roads, parks and utility systems.
At a borough council meeting last month, borough engineer Tom Neff and chief finance officer Tom Fallon presented a roadmap for the upcoming infrastructure upgrades and planned financial management for the projects.
The borough estimates that it will spend just over $9.15 million on total planned capital projects this year, including just over $8.5 million on general capital improvements and $578,000 on sewer utility capital improvements.
“We’re making use of $1,574,000 in direct budget appropriations between the general budget and the sewer budget, and we’re certainly very proud of that,” Fallon said. “These appropriations help reduce future debt issuance and further strengthen the borough’s financial position.”
According to Fallon, the borough’s 2025 budget sticks to a plan that was updated in 2023 to manage long-term debt more effectively. That plan would boost funding for road improvements by 70% over 10 years, from 2023 through 2032. Overall, in the next decade, the borough expects to spend about $20 million on road projects.
Despite this significant investment, Fallon noted the borough plans to maintain steady annual debt payments to reduce overall debt by $500,000 annually, totaling $5 million in debt reduction over 10 years.
Smoother Roads Underway
The borough is responsible for 85 miles of roads within its borders. Road improvements represent a significant investment for the borough, with a $4.1 million road program planned for 2025. This plan includes paving 16 different roads spanning approximately 5 miles, targeting streets like Rutgers Drive, West Park Avenue, Silvercrest Drive, Oakdale Drive, Honey Lane and several others iden-tified as requiring critical maintenance.
The road program will be in the design phase through this year, with the bids and construction phase to begin in 2026. “We have an NJDOT (New Jersey Department of Transportation) grant of $217,000 off- setting that. We’re going to provide a down payment of $182,000, and we’re going to authorize debt for that program of $3.2 million,” said Fallon.
Walz Park
The Walz Park project will transform 60 acres into a multifunctional community space. The project is estimated to cost almost $2.4 million, partially funded by a $475,000 grant from the Monmouth County Municipal Open Space grant in 2024 and another $95,000 received this year from the New Jersey Dept of Community Affairs (NJDCA). Additionally, Fallon noted that the borough will be providing a down payment from the Open Space Trust Fund of $125,000 and authorizing $1.8 million in open space debt, “which is different than general debt,” Fallon clarified. “The open space debt is paid off by the existing open space tax, so it does not affect general taxation.”
The park will have a recreational area featuring walking trails that wind through open fields and
wooded areas, a designed fishing platform overlooking an existing pond, and a farm-themed playground that pays homage to the site’s agricultural history. The design phase has just “wrapped up,” said Neff. Currently, the borough is working through permitting processes with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). “Once we get the DEP permits, we’ll be ready to go out to bid. If the DEP cooperates, hopefully, this summer, we’ll be going out to bid and starting construction,” said Neff.
Grants Received
The borough has also obtained a total of $2,618,668 in grant funds over recent years for several infrastructure projects to offset the costs of construction. Some of the grants include one from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) for $217,456 this year for improvements to Rutgers Drive. Last year, the NJDOT awarded $314,292 for Hockhockson Road repairs and $219,420 for Essex Road improvements in 2023.
Last year, the NJDCA funded $600,000 for the softball fields at Sycamore Recreation Complex. A $217,500 grant from the New Jersey Library Construction Bond Act partly funded library improvements and a Community Development Block Grant of $161,000 was awarded for Wardell Road improvements.
Drainage and utility improvements will be done simultaneously with the road and park projects, including extensive pipe lining, sewer main extensions at Locust Grove Road, and pump station upgrades. Fallon noted that most non-road infrastructure projects will be “paid for in cash without incurring debt.”
The article originally appeared in the May 22 – 28, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
