Rec center expansion expected to begin soon
BY KATHY BARATTA
Staff Writer

MANALAPAN - Municipal officials expect to have shovels in the ground by July now that the Township Committee has adopted a $4.1 million bond ordinance that will be used to fund the expansion of the Manalapan Recreation Center, Route 522.

The expansion project which has been discussed for several years will see the addition of recreation amenities primarily on the Dreyer tract portion of the recreation center.

Discussion of the proposal on May 9 revealed there could be additional items included in the project.

At present, the Phase One expansion provides for the construction of three baseball fields (one full-size field, two smaller fields), one basketball court, a tot lot, two soccer fields (one artificial turf, one natural turf), rest rooms, parking lots and a fitness trail.

The artificial turf field was the subject of some discussion by members of the committee. The artificial turf field is expected to cost about $1.1 million to install.

Although he initially balked at the cost for maintenance of the artificial turf field, which he estimated would be about $20,000, Committeeman Anthony Gennaro still decided to vote with the other three members of the committee to approve the bonding proposal after receiving some concessions regarding his suggestions for the project.

Gennaro said he went on the Internet to investigate the maintenance cost of artificial turf fields and found that maintenance cost estimates ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 per year. He said his research revealed the artificial turf field would have to be replaced in eight years, while the payout period for the $4.1 million bond would be 10 years.

The committeeman said he would have liked in the alternative a natural turf field which would cost about $300,000 to construct. He said that way the expansion project could include a splash pad (water activity), which is something he believes would boost summer recreation program registration numbers.

Gennaro estimated the cost of the splash pad at $400,000 and said the attraction would likely continue to generate increased revenues.

"For less money we would be able to get two things instead of one and have a great revenue source," he said, noting that last year the summer recreation program enrollment was down by 177 children.

He said at a cost of about $500 per child that represented a loss in revenue in excess of $80,000.

Gennaro said he believed the construction of a splash pad would attract a wider range of children by getting more people into the park "who are not athletes," thereby providing not only a new revenue source, but also a wider and more inclusive range of recreation amenities.

Township engineer Greg Valesi said the benefit of having an artificial turf field is that it can be played on year-round, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He said an artificial turf field can be played on immediately following a rain storm, unlike natural turf fields which need to "rest."

Deputy Mayor Michelle Roth said that according to information given to her by George Rothweiler, who is a member of Manalapan's Recreation Advisory Board, new artificial turf fields have a life expectancy of at least 12 years. She also contended that maintenance of the artificial turf field would prove to be more cost-effective than a natural turf field.

Roth said, "If artificial turf can go 24/7, it's doing the work of the equivalent of three other fields and you have to factor in the maintenance costs you would pay for those three other fields."

Valesi said it is his understanding that the maintenance envisioned for the artificial turf field would not prove to be a significant cost issue since the maintenance could be done by municipal employees, and also because the field would not have to be up to professional stadium quality, a standard which he believed served as the foundation for the cost estimates Gennaro said he had come across online.

Mayor Andrew Lucas said, "This was a project that started in 1999 and it's been in discussion ever since." He said it was time to get the recreation center expansion under way.

Committeeman Richard Klauber said a splash pad can be added later. He said it was "time to move" on the bond ordinance and set the recreation center expansion project in motion.

The bond ordinance was adopted in a 4-0 vote with the understanding that the splash pad could be taken under consideration for inclusion in the project. Officials said change orders for the project could be undertaken at any point.

Township Attorney Caroline Casagrande pointed out that by approving the bonding ordinance the committee was only providing funds for the project and was not limited under any legal constraints regarding what could be constructed at the recreation center.

Township Administrator Tara Lovrich confirmed there were provisions in the language of the ordinance that would allow for the township to come in at any point and tweak the project to include whatever changes in the project were agreed upon by the governing body.