Good News: Mendham's Pitney Farm Park On Schedule

MENDHAM, NJ - Construction design work is complete and Mendham Township is aiming for a soft opening on Labor Day 2021 for its Historic Park at Pitney Farm.

According to the township-appointed park steering committee, including Nick Monaghan and Tom Baio, Township Committee members, and Diana Orban Brown, former mayor and chair of the steering committee, the visible work of grading, landscaping and planting will begin this fall and continue through the spring and summer of 2021.

The park is located on seven acres of preserved open space that once was part of the historic Pitney family farm and was purchased by the township in 2009 using municipal and Morris County open space funds.

Members of the steering committee recently visited the park site to check the installation of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres sign, put in place recently to denote a grant that the township has received to develop the property at One Cold Hill Road. Last year, the township applied for and received $377,500 in Green Acres funds and $264,752 in Morris County Trail Construction grant money to develop the parcel into the Mendham Township Historic Park. Landscape architect Edward Clark of Flanders and township engineer Denis Keenan of French and Parrello Associates, Hackettstown, are the professionals handling the design and engineering phases of the project.

“Work on the park got underway earlier this year and has focused on site inspections, detailed construction drawings, permitting requirements and other paperwork," Orban Brown said. "Some grading has taken place on the property, and extensive groundwork is expected to commence this fall, weather permitting.”

Officials said they anticipate going out for bids for the park construction in October or November, with construction work slated for early 2021, again weather permitting.

Plans call for:

• a half-mile ADA-compliant trail
• a central lawn and elevated side lawn grassy areas
• several rain garden-like low maintenance features
• approximately 20 new native specimen trees
• transplanting of several existing trees and the addition of various native shrubs and other plantings.
• Also planned are park benches, some of which will be built from reclaimed wood from the barn previously located on the property.

“The HPC also will be creating informational signs depicting historical facts about the Mendhams and surrounding area," Baio daid. "These will be placed along the half-mile trail and will add an educational component to the park.”

Two existing structures on the parcel include a small building known as the Seed House and a 1930s Walled Garden. These elements have been adopted by the Mendham Township Historic Preservation Committee (HPC) and will be refurbished as the park is being developed.

“The planning and development of the Historic Park is coming about with a lot of input and support by Mendham Township residents,” Orban Brown said. “Throughout the concept phase, several meetings were held with neighbors, comments were welcomed at a ‘town hall’ presentation and letters were sent by residents to Green Acres and Morris County officials endorsing the project.”

Monaghan said that even now, the Township Committee has appointed a stakeholders’ group representing a wide range of residents who meet quarterly with the steering committee to hear updates and make suggestions.

"We believe this park will be embraced and enjoyed by all in the Mendhams,” Monaghan said.

The original Pitney Farm parcel, purchased by Mendham Township in 2009, included 5.5 acres reserved for municipal purposes and the seven acres of permanently preserved open space.

In December 2018 the unencumbered municipal portion was purchased by Anatol Siemienczuk of Sema Properties in Bridgewater, a New Jersey developer, who is building five custom houses on the 5.5 acres.

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