Tennis Court, Mountain Park Repairs in 2010 Parks Dept. Plans

While most residents are just starting to adjust to the oncoming winter, the Bernards Parks and Recreation Department is busy planning picnics, fishing outings and the launch of several new parks and programs.

The Recreation, Parks and Pathways Advisory Committee met on Monday and discussed the department's plans for 2010.

New programs

Registration will begin on Dec. 14 for several 2010 Parks programs aimed for adults and for children with special needs. Among the programs being offered are morning and evening yoga classes, open gym nights for residents 30 and up and a 40 and older fitness club. The Therapeutic Recreation department is sponsoring indoor, co-ed "ant hockey" (played with nerf sticks and foam balls) and a basketball league for children with special needs. More information on registration can be found on the Parks department Web site.

In addition to the new programs, the Parks department has already started its recreational basketball program. "We have 62 teams this year—close to 600 children," Parks department Assistant Director Sean O'Grady said. "All of our boys leagues are filled up; there is still some space available for the girls."

Maintenance and repair

Parks department Director Jennifer Gander reported on the state of the recreational facilities in Bernards. Fields Three and Four at Mountain Park are the only fields in danger of needing to be closed for repair.

"Those are the most overused fields. So it's questionable as to whether they will be ready in time after the winter for opening in the spring," Gander said. "We'll have to wait and see on that and plan accordingly."

One rehabilitation project that is already underway is to rebuild the structure underneath the paddle tennis courts at Pleasant Valley Park. Gander reported that the wooden support structure underneath the courts has begun to rot, and Court Three has already been closed because the playing area is unsafe. The town allowed for bids to repair the courts twice earlier in the fall, but only received one offer for $150,000.

Recently, the parks department was able to negotiate a deal with the original vendor to do the job. "To rebuild the underneath of each court and to resurface, repaint, replace all of the screening, and all of the wood boards around the court, it will be $67,000 for two courts," Gander said.

Work will be done on Court Three first, then when that is completed Court Four will be closed and repaired. The Parks department hopes for money from the Township Committee next year to use to rebuild Courts One and Two as well.

"I am told that you will think that you have a new tennis court there once they are done," Gander said.

New building projects

The committee also discussed the possibility of replacing the surface of Fields Three and Four at Mountain park with artificial turf (total cost, $1.6 million) and/or adding lights to two multipurpose fields at Pleasant Valley Park (total cost, $275,000-$300,000).

Both projects would be designed to increase the number of hours available for use on multipurpose fields. The Mountain Park fields, which are lit but often are closed due to rain and overuse, and the currently unlit fields at Pleasant Valley Park would be able to stay open longer and more often if the changes were made.

The Parks department will present recommendations for capital projects to the Township Staff later today. Gander said that she does not expect either project to go forward this year due to budgetary limitations, but she wanted to present the idea to the Township Committee as something that should be considered in the future.

"I don't really have any capital projects that have to be done," Gander said. "But there are some things that we have been talking about, and we just want to get on the Township Committee's radar that they might be possibilities."

While no consensus was reached on the committee, two motions were passed to continue to develop the ideas for consideration.

New parks

The committee also discussed ways to show off new parks bought by the township. The centerpiece is the Sons of Liberty Farm site, soon to be Sons of Liberty Park.

The Parks department plans on having an official opening ceremony for the park when it opens in the spring, and possibly will tie the ceremony in to the celebration of the township's 250th anniversary.

The Sons of Liberty Park will offer walking trails, open areas for picnics and a pond stocked with fish. The park will also contain a special elm tree planted by the Shade Tree Commission and a permanent kiosk with information about the history of the property and a map of its trails.