$880K In Lighting Improvements Proposed For Mendham Township Fields

MENDHAM, NJ — Mendham Township has big plans to light up its parks according to a lighting proposal to spend $880,000 on upgrades at Mosle Fields.

Mendham Township Parks and Recreation Director David Guida appeared before the township committee meeting on Monday night to provide an overview of potential park improvement options.

According to Guida, the Parks and Recreation Committee has been planning improvements to Mosle Field for several years but got their plans pushed back as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the recreation committee met with representatives from all types of local sports organizations, the two that were primarily discussed were the football and baseball teams.

"Football is an organization that really feels as though they have no home for their recreational sports. For the baseball league, there have been so many times when they have night games, or away games there is no location within their area where they are able to do this," Guida said. "So there is definitely a need within these organizations for additional playing spaces."

Guida stated that after speaking with the sports representatives, they were able to narrow their wishlist down to a single more feasible project for the township, which is new lights for the fields and parking lot.

The total cost of the project would be around $880,000, and it would include new lighting on Mosle Field's football field, baseball field, and parking lot. Guida stated that the recreation department would request that the township cover the entire cost of parking lot lighting and electrical services, which would amount to $180,000.

Guida also stated that in terms of long-term financing for the project, the township would bear half of the responsibility for covering the funding, with the other half coming from the local sports organization.

"The down payment would be $35,000, with the debt issued at $665,000, a 3.5 percent interest rate issued over ten years, so ultimately over the next ten years we'd be looking at a payment of $70,000-$80,000 per year, again this would be split 50/50 by the township and the sports leagues," Guida said.

Following the presentation, several children from local sports teams addressed the committee, stating that the current fields at Mosle are not suitable for the teams' full-time use. One of the speakers, a 12-year-old Mendham Township Middle School student, spoke about the fields' "terrible condition," claiming that the poor lighting and lack of dugouts on the baseball field make it difficult to play.

Most residents in attendance were enthusiastic about the upcoming improvements, including resident Randy Lee, a local football coach in the township, who stated unequivocally, "the need is now, we are in desperate need."

Concerns and comments were raised about the potential environmental impacts of the new lights on the land, with one resident claiming that the addition of the lights would necessitate increased irrigation to keep the grass alive.