Residents' recreational needs studied in Millstone
Township needs to acquire 211 acres of open space
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

MILLSTONE - A report on the township's ongoing recreation study should be made available to residents by July.

Two consultants from Environmental Resolutions Inc., a Mount Laurel planning firm, gave an update on the recreation study their firm is doing for the township. The presentation was made at the March 21 Township Committee meeting.

Deputy Mayor Bob Kinsey said the long-term study of the township's recreational needs began last spring. He said Environmental Resolutions has spoken to a number of stakeholders in town including the Recreation Committee, the Planning Board, the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Council, Mayor Nancy Grbelja, Township Administrator James Pickering and Township Engineer Matt Shafai.

"They have put together a pretty robust timeline on how we can wrap this thing up," Kinsey said.

Thomas Miller, an Environmental Resolutions representative, said he is in the process of planning a parks and recreational open space map for the community. According to Miller, he is almost finished taking inventory of the existing facilities, which number about a dozen.

"As part of the master plan, communication is important," he said. "We have communicated with different entities in the community."

Miller said the firm has also spoken to local sports groups, the YMCA and the county.

Tim Kaluhiokalani, who works in land planning and design for Environmental Resources, said the township has a total of 3,795 acres of open space, approximately 1,200 of which belong to the state and 595 of which belong to the township, with the rest belonging to the county.

"All open space is not created equal," he said, adding that he investigated each parcel.

The township has five parks. They are Wagner Farm Park, Charles Abate Park, Brandywine Fields, Rocky Brook Park and the Millstone-Roosevelt Little League complex. The Little League sports complex is used exclusively by that group, according to Kaluhiokalani.

Rocky Brook is a 5-acre neighborhood park, he said, and Brandywine Fields has two regulation soccer fields and additional open space used for practices.

Wagner Farm Park has some indoor facilities, where football and soccer are played, he said. Abate Park is still under construction, according to Kaluhiokalani.

Standards have been developed to determine a municipality's recreational needs, he said. The balanced land use formula, which is used by the county and the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), states that 3 percent of the developable land in a municipality should be set aside for active recreation, according to Kaluhiokalani, who also said that 426 acres should be set aside in Millstone.

Counting the existing recreational acreage, Millstone needs 211 more acres to reach the balanced land use formula goal, according to Kaluhiokalani.

"Size matters," he said, referring to open space and what can be done with it.

Some areas suitable for open space are irregularly shaped, he said, or restricted for use if they contain wetlands or other environmentally sensitive areas. A lot of potentially developable recreation areas will be restricted to smaller-scale recreation, according to Kaluhiokalani, and most sports need flat fields.

Kaluhiokalani also said he spoke to the Little League and traveling soccer teams to assess their needs and discovered that lighting restrictions on fields have created problems.

"At 10 p.m., the lights are off," he said. "Lights extend game time."

Kinsey said there has been a very vocally stated need for lighted fields. Kaluhiokalani said lighted fields need to be in an area with minimal impacts and where the facility can "get along with the neighbors."

Kinsey also noted that fields need time to rest.

"Wagner Farm Park is taking a beating," he said. "We're triaging every summer. Wagner Farm Park is constantly overused, and we get constant complaints."

Kaluhiokalani said his firm also identified a need for indoor facilities for soccer and baseball practice in bad weather.

Grbelja asked about the development of county-owned recreational facilities in the township. Kaluhiokalani said he spoke to Faith Hahn, supervising planner of the Monmouth County Park System, who told him the county is currently focusing on land acquisition.

Grbelja said, "We can't wait for the county or another entity to do something that will take care of the residents. It's up to us."

Miller said a draft report of the recreation study would be ready by mid-April for presentation to the township's Ad Hoc Committee on Recreation, and a public hearing on the draft plan should be held by the end of April.

"We want to make sure everybody in the community has a voice - seniors, skateboarders, whoever they may be," Miller said.

A draft of the final report should be completed by mid-May, with a second public hearing slated in mid-June. The report should be completed by July, Miller said.

Former Committeeman Cory Wingerter said, "I think you will find [that] as you look at facilities and [promote] recreation, it will be what the residents can afford.