Modified Athletic Complex Plan Approved

The Hanover Park Regional High School Board of Education signed off on modified athletic complex plans at its Wednesday night meeting and unanimously approved submitting the plans to the New Jersey Department of Education.

After the Department of Education, and the East Hanover and Hanover planning boards, have a chance to review the project, the district is aiming to hold a special election in March for voters to decide whether or not the district may borrow the funds for the project.

With the changes, the project is estimated to cost $17.6 million, down from earlier estimates of around $19.5 million, said Michael Bieri, vice president of FKA Architects, the firm handling the project.

During the meeting, Bieri reviewed with the board the changes that were made to the plans since reveing input at a public hearing on the project:

• Adding 44 parking spaces to the teacher parking lot at Whippany Park, while widening the entrance to the student lot and reconfiguring one end of the parking lot to include five more parking spaces. The student lot also would be paved.
• Hanover Park's football field to get new lighting
• Replace soccer scoreboard at Whippany Park
• Grade and seed practice fields instead of installing artificial turf or sodding. A field hockey/junior varsity softball field at Whippany Park was added to the scope.
• The wood face of seating that is built in to a hill near a Whippany Park baseball field would be redone
• Two of three "kiosk" areas meant for setting up tables to provide information or sell items were removed from the earlier plans. One near the Hanover Park High School concession stand remains.

The board also voted to add the project, known as the "Physical Education and Athletic Facilities Rehabilitation Project," to the long-range facilities plans for Hanover Park and Whippany Park high schools.

If the special election is not held in March, it likely would be held in September, officials said.