Feds Approve County's Plans For Sports Complex In Edison

EDISON, NJ – Federal authorities have approved the plan for a proposed athletics complex in Edison, County Commissioner Ronald Rios said.

The National Park Service (NPS) cleared Middlesex County’s plan to build a sports complex at Thomas A. Edison Park.

“Middlesex County is pleased to announce that the National Park Service has concluded its review of our proposed plans to re-imagine and enhance Thomas A. Edison Park and has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Thomas A. Edison Park Change of Program of Utilization Environmental Assessment (EA),” Rios said in a statement.

“The Destination Athletic Complex at Thomas A. Edison Park will feature 14 fields including a 500-ft Cricket field; 16 tennis courts; a brand-new playground; new comfort stations, a fieldhouse; safe pedestrian and bicycle pathways, and much more.”

The park is created through the Federal Lands to Parks Program, and the NPS responsibility is limited to determining if Thomas A. Edison Park will retain its public recreational use.

“Decisions about the types of recreation provided are made close to home at the local level. In this case, the NPS has determined that the park will retain its recreational nature and public access after Middlesex County makes the proposed changes,” The NPS said.

This new and improved park is designed for County residents and visitors, to address the growth of athletics and public recreation.

The Program of Utilization (POU) agreement between the NPS and the County will be amended to include an expanded variety and capacity of activities offered in the park while maintaining the model airplane flying field, preserving the wetlands located in the southern part of the park, and related recreational opportunities.

The selected action incorporates more than three acres of successional meadow into the design for birding, an increase from the originally proposed one acre, and additional walking trails and benches throughout the project area, the NPS said.

The project is expected to cost $66 million and is part of the County’s Community Innovation and Opportunity Strategic Investment Plan which was announced in 2022.

Since the announcement, residents have raised concerns about the traffic impact and cost of the project.

The NPS decision comes after a public comment period on environmental assessment.

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