At last night's Middletown Neighborhood Meeting at the Middletown Senior Center at Croydon Hall a very interesting turn of events was announced by Gerry Scharfenberger, the plans for the installation of artificial turf fields in Lincroft and at Croydon Hall are being dropped.
There will be no sports complex built or field upgrades at West Front Street Park that met so much opposition from the residents group SONIC (Save Our Neighborhood's Integrity and Character) and the Pop Warner Lincroft Chargers organization, and no upgrade for the field at Croydon Hall which is used by the Middletown Eagles Pop Warner team.
According to the Asbury Park Press article posted online late last night, Scharfenberger use the current economic conditions affecting the Township as the reason for why the turf field projects were being dropped. Scharfenberger is quoted as saying:
"…In a difficult budget year in which the township's state aid has been cut by $1.3 million, 14 retiring employees will receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in parting costs, and snow removal expenses were at least $500,000 above normal, it makes no sense to also take on a fields project…I see no way to go forward with this… In terms of what had to go, this became something of a no-brainer."
The article went on to state that Township Administrator Tony Mercantante said the $2.4 million bond that was originally issued for the project in 2006 will be returned to the lender.
So why the sudden change, why did the Scharfenberger and Mercantante drop the plans for the turf installations? You can't tell me it was because of the sudden realization that the Township is facing a budget deficit of over $5 million and this was a prudent decision on the part of the Township Committee. The Township has known for weeks that it would not be receiving the same level of state aid as in years past and Scharfenberger, Mercantante and crew said that the $2.4 million that was bonded for the turf projects was already in the bank, waiting to be used and would have absolutely no effect on the current budget process.
I feel that the real reason why they decided to cancel plans for the turf fields was the embarrassment that they felt when confronted at last week's March 15th Township Committee meeting by members of the Chargers organization and SONIC when they present a plan to the Township that clearly showed that a multi-sport field could indeed be placed at Trezza Field, the home of the Chargers for over 40 years as originally called for in bond ordinance, with no impact to wetlands that the Township based its decision on as a reason for not going ahead with the field upgrade.
If Tony Mercantante accepted the Chargers' plan, he would have had to admit that the advice from the town's engineers and other professionals was wrong. He would have had to essentially throw them under the bus, which would have lead to questions of competence and may have raised doubts about other projects around town that residents question.
I know that this announcement will upset some people, particularly the Middletown Soccer League and the Pop Warner Eagles; Middletown Soccer aligned themselves with the Township in pushing for the field upgrades at West Front Street and the Eagles who became the victims of the collateral damage inflicted on members of the Township Committee by SONIC and the Chargers in the fight against the sports complex at West Front Street.
It was never in dispute, the playing field of the Pop Warner Eagles at Croydon Hall was going to be upgraded as a multi-sports playing field as part of the Township's turf project but Parks and Recreations Director Greg Silva made it clear during at meeting with the Chargers, that if they succeeded in their efforts to derail the West Front Street field upgrade then the upgrade at Croydon Hall would also be canceled as a result. So I guess he wasn't lying.
While this is a clear victory for SONIC and those who questioned whether or not it was prudent for the Township to move forward with this turf project because of current economic conditions, the victory for the Chargers is somewhat less and not much of a victory at all.
With the bad blood and hurt feeling inflicted on the Township Committee by the Chargers, Trezza Field may never get the field upgrades that are so badly needed for the continued and future success of their program.
The Independent has a related story that should also be read.
6 comments:
Mike,
Now this administration should see to it that Parks & Recreation does what they are paid to do or replace management there.
The condition of our sports fields and parks clearly are the responsibility of that department and the members of the TC. That job has not been done.
It's about time to stop the political nonsense and do what they were elected to do.....represent all of the people of this township regardless of race,color,creed or political affiliation....long past time !
"A No Brainer" stated the Mayor. Cut the kids programs first. Hurt the kids first! what is this World coming to? How low will they go? It's just been shown.
The township is just as bad now as NJEA, hurt the kids, is their new motto.
We are glad it is not going in our backyard on West Front Street, but what we have learned through all this and now with the outcome, their solution is to hurt the kids is outrageous. Something is not right in the township.
Playing politics with the children is reprehensible.
This fiasco is the result of poor planning, budgeting and communication by the township. Less than 2 weeks ago the Mayor was ready to vote on a resolution to give CMX the go ahead for the final plans for WFS. Since then we have CMX going out of business, and our state aid being cut by $1.3 mil.
This bond sat in a bank act. for over 3 years and who knows what the interest rate was back in 06. But we paid for it to just sit there.
The master plan cost $187,000 and the TC didn't even follow it in regard to selecting the WFS location.
There was little to no communication to the sports clubs or residents in regard to the township's plans for the turf fields.
Now, after 2 months of trying to reason with the Mayor, that the location and the current financial crisis we are facing doesn't warrent building a turf field at this time, he has an epiphany!
MAYOR, Try listening to your constituents for a change!
"Hurt the kids"...boo-hoo, cry me a river! First all you anti-Middletown people do is whine and complain about the cost of the turf fields and SONIC complains about building fields in their town (my hometown for 50 years BTW). Now the township decides to save the money and stop the turf fields and you're screaming about how it's gonna hurt your kids! What about us adults?? Our taxes are out of hand because the schools are spending our money like it's water. How about thanking Gerry and the committee for once instead of criticizing them.
oh please...the bond was issued in 06 and we have been paying on it for 4 years, to waste that money is foolish. The town is not saving money they wasted money! Just because you have no children, does not mean the entire town should suffer,5:37pm. This towns fields (regardless of the sport)are a disgrace compare to all the other towns that pay the same if not less in taxes! Management needs an overhaul. Get rid of Silva, that is a waste of our tax dollars. Turf or no turf, the waste in this town is horrendous.
This was yet another occasion when the "true colors" of the obnoxious group of ethically and integrity challenged republicans sitting on that dais were clearly evident.
Seems the people of this town "get what they asked for" when they continue to return this gang of characters to office.
This mayor behaves like a petty dictator and only represents himself and his cronies! He wears his EGO like a chronic symptom.
This township's government needs an "overhaul".
REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER!!!
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