Courts at Bridgewater Park to be Repaired in Coming Months

A park that some residents have said is badly in need of repairs will soon be getting the fixes it needs.

The township is planning to move forward with repairs to the basketball and tennis courts at Harry Ally Memorial Park on Grand Boulevard. Bridgewater Township Administrator Jim Naples said they are in need of fixing because of constant use by residents.

"This will be a full resurfacing and taking care of any drainage problems if need be," he said. "And we will replace the fencing."

To finance the project, the Bridgewater Township Council unanimously approved the introduction of a bond ordinance Monday in the amount of $150,000, which is the expected cost of the entire project.

Naples said the basketball and tennis courts are used very often by residents, and this project has been on the schedule to be done. It was just a matter of when, he said.

The township had already entertained an idea to use a specific amount of funds from the Open Space Trust Fund to make repairs at Harry Ally Memorial Park, but negotiations are currently underway to use that money for turf fields at the high school instead.

With that decision, Naples said, the township still knew it had to move forward with the Harry Ally Memorial Park renovations.

Once the project goes out to bid and a contract is awarded, Naples said, it is expected to be completed within four to six months, so the courts would reopen in time for the spring.

"The courts will be closed during the construction," he said.

The bond, Naples said, is a 10-year one that the township will begin to pay back in the 2011 budget. The 2010 budget, Naples said, includes the down payment of $7,500.

A public hearing on the ordinance will be held at the Sept. 2 meeting.