|
Major Upgrades Planned For Frede And Arrowhead Parks
By Keith Hagarty
 | | This graphic shows the layout of proposed upgrades to Arrowhead Park. |
|
Frede Park and Arrowhead (Norman J. Sherman) Park are getting a makeover.
The township held a public information session this week to get residents' feedback in the hopes of having the new and improved parks ready for use by next summer, said Mayor Stephen Acropolis.
"This is part of our ongoing rehabilitation efforts," said Acropolis. "This money is already in the budget, it's already been allocated, and we hope to get through this process of opening up to the public and getting public input to refine it, and we hope to go to bid this January so that come the springtime in March, as soon as the weather changes we'll be able to get these parks built."
Some $1.2 million of state Green Acres funds will be used to fund the projects.
All 1,200 residents from the Arrowhead and Point Pleasant Manor housing developments received a survey from the town last year seeking their input on the changes, and were invited to attend this week's information session.
"What we've done in the past is invited people who lived just right around the park," said Acropolis. "But what we decided to do this time was to invite people who live in the entire neighborhood."
The two small parks are known as neighborhood "pocket parks," and are two of the 19 overall townshipmaintained parks in Brick.
"These are two of Brick's original parks that have been in town since the 70s," said Acropolis.
While there have been some upgrades to the parks over that period of time, improvements are long overdue.
"When we looked at our parks, and found there were a number of our parks that needed to be upgraded, so this is part of that ongoing process," said Acropolis. "We're also trying to utilize shared services with the board of education so we don't just have one organization using a specific park. For instance, if you look at the Drum Point Park, we've got four organizations using that park."
One of the key components of the upgrades at both parks is the installation of surveillance cameras to deter criminal activity.
"Any of the parks that we're putting in from now on are going to have cameras," said Acropolis. "Right now some of the cameras are going back to the police department so they can monitor them, or at least there will be a recording device so if there's damage done to the parks, we're going to hopefully be able to identify the people who did it."
Of the residents surveyed, Assistant Township Planner Tara B. Paxton said the top five most desired aspects for the park upgrades were for: playground facilities, basketball courts, a picnic area, tennis courts, and open space for passive recreation.
Kirk Danielson, of T&M Associates, presented the planned upgrades.
Plans for Frede Park, include the addition of a basketball court, a picnic/ lawn area, a centralized shaded structure, a playground tot lot, swings, benches, trash receptacles, security lighting, improved walkways, a 4-foot high decorative fence, a 10-foot high chain link security fencing and landscaping, which includes the planting of an evergreen screen.
Plans for Arrowhead Park, situated between Village Way and Nottingham Drive, call for the removal of an aged dilapidated tennis court, the addition of two basketball courts, a 33-space parking lot, an upgraded softball field or multi-use field, walkways, a picnic/lawn area, two playground tot lots, benches, trash receptacles, security lighting and improved landscaping, which includes an evergreen buffer along the outfield perimeter of the softball field.
Having lived across the street from the park for 27 years, Richard Smith, of Village Way, is cautiously optimistic the upgrades could help deter the glut of parked cars from park patrons he routinely sees on his street.
"I counted roughly 32 spots of parking in that area, which should be sufficient enough, I hope," said Smith. "But any more (proposed parking spaces) and I think they'd run into a problem."
Parking for sporting events can always be a little tricky in the area, said Smith.
"I know the neighborhood very well," he said. "I've coached there. I know it's a great park, and a lot of fun for the kids, and I always wanted to keep it there, but the biggest problem we used to have there was when we had games, we always had problems with people parking."
Township officials said options for deterring parking and speeding motorists on both of the park's surrounding roadways, such as the installation of speed humps or restricted parking measures, can be explored further as the projects move forward.
| 
)