New bids sought for rec site

MANALAPAN - For the second time in as many months, the township will seek bids for the construction of new playing fields at the Manalapan Recreation Center, Route 522.

The Township Committee recently approved the expenditure of $4.4 million to cover the Phase 1 work. The appropriation includes $4.1 million to be raised through the sale of bonds.

However, the bids for the job that were opened on June 29 were rejected.

A legal notice published in the Asbury Park Press on July 13 puts out a second call for bids. The bids that are received are scheduled to be opened July 25.

According to the July 13 legal notice, Phase 1A consists of the construction of the basic infrastructure for Phase 1 of the recreation center expansion including three natural turf baseball fields, one natural turf multipurpose field and one synthetic turf multipurpose field, storm drainage, water and sewer utilities, electrical service, irrigation systems, underground conduit for future sports lighting and associated work.

That is the same list of items that appeared in the legal notice that preceded the June 29 bid opening.

All of the bids that are received will be reviewed by the township engineer, Greg Valesi, who will then make a recommendation to the members of the committee as to how to proceed.

According to the legal notice, the committee reserves the right to reject any or all of the bids if in its opinion it is in the best interest of the township to do so.

In a related matter, Township Admin-istrator Tara Lovrich said officials are getting ready to seek bids on a cleanup project that will be completed at a home on Route 522 that formerly belonged to the Dreyer family. The home is now owned by Manalapan. The house is adjacent to the recreation center. Township officials have said soil that was contaminated by a heating oil tank that leaked will be removed from the site.

- Mark Rosman