Lots of room for work, but little for play
New middle school playing fields won't open anytime soon
BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer

MILLSTONE - The athletic fields at the new middle school may not be ready for use until 2010.

Millstone Township Board of Education member Thomas Foley, chairman of the board's Operations Committee, delivered a report about the playing fields during the Oct. 9 meeting.

Foley said the school's administrators are working with the project manager, Hill International in Marlton, and that the architects, The Thomas Group in Princeton, have a plan to start constructing the fields in February or March 2008.

"A number of different things must happen for the milestone to be met," he said.

Foley said the fields have to rest for two years before use. He said the board has to decide whether to seed the fields and then wait the two years, or sod a portion of the fields first to acclimate the area for transition into usage.

The board must review the options and costs before putting the project out to bid, according to Foley.

"It's potentially 2010 before the fields are usable," Foley said.

Foley presented a map of the planned fields, which he said has not changed. The elevation and grade of the fields have changed, according to Foley, because of the dirt issue.

The Pennsylvania-based Orleans Development Corp. had once promised the school district that it would grade the school's athletic fields in exchange for free fill but has since reneged on its offer. Last month, the district's former business administrator, Brian Boyle, said that the school district had been fighting with the developer over the issue for nine months but would not pursue the matter any further.

The Orleans Development Corp. had submitted its development plans to the township, which included the grading and excavation project, according to Boyle. However, Boyle said that The Thomas Group did not approve those plans. When the township's Planning Board ultimately approved a resolution regarding the plans, the board did not know that The Thomas Group did not approve them, according to Boyle.

As a result of the failed grading and excavation project, the elevation of an athletic field located behind the road by the school's office will rise. The bid specs for the project will also include two baseball/ softball fields, a soccer field, and an all-purpose field adjacent to the soccer field.

Foley said the middle school will not have a cross-country track but that the township would build a track on land just beyond the school property.

Superintendent of Schools Mary Anne Donahue said the referendum for the middle school project budgeted $1 million for the cost of the fields.

Regarding recreation at another school in the district, resident Colette Visser asked the board when the elementary school could expect its new playground equipment.

"They're playing in the parking lot," she said. "That's unacceptable."

Donahue said the district has received notice that delivery of the equipment would be delayed. She also said that the district is proactively looking for another company to fill the order because the current company "has dragged their feet."

"They just keep saying it's back-ordered," she said. "That's not acceptable."

Board member Margaret Gordon said the current company is under state contract and that the administration should note the problems when asked for feedback.

Donahue said she should have an answer by the next board meeting as to whether the district would be getting the equipment it ordered or if it would be looking elsewhere.