Basie Park Project To Be Topic Of Red Bank Green Acres Hearing

RED BANK, NJ — Residents can learn more about planned improvements to Count Basie Fields at a Green Acres hearing on Dec. 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Borough Hall, 90 Monmouth St.

The matter is on the agenda of the Borough Council meeting for that night.

The Borough of Red Bank is seeking funding through the New Jersey Green Acres Park Development Program for improvements at Count Basie Fields at Count Basie Park, located at the intersection of Henry Street and Mohawk Lane.

The borough hopes to remove the existing home side bleachers and install new home side bleachers. A concept plan showing the proposed changes, a preliminary cost estimate, and an environmental impact assessment for the project can be found here at the borough website.

Interim Business Administrator Darren McConnell explained the scope of the project:

He said the overall cost based on the engineer's estimate is approximately $1.1 million. The job would ultimately go out to bid, so that is only the current estimate for the purpose of the grant application.

"The borough would have a 50 percent match, so essentially half the project would be paid by the grant and half by the borough, if we are fortunate enough to receive the funds we are seeking," McConnell said.

He said that, depending on when the Green Acres decision is made - probably in the summer - "realistically I would say that construction would not begin until 2025 if we are awarded the grant."

Red Bank is proposing the installation of a new press box and set of bleachers at Count Basie Park. These improvements will consist of the removal of the existing bleachers and press box structure and construction of new bleachers and press box in its place.

"This project has been on our radar for a while as the bleachers and press box are definitely showing their age and very much need to be updated," McConnell said.

Count Basie Park is a 14.5-acre public recreation area located between the New Jersey Transit rail road tracks to the east, and South Pearl Street to the west. The main entrance to Count Basie Park is located off of Henry Street, and leads to the public parking lot. Public parking consists of both regular and ADA accessible parking stalls, approximately 103 stalls in total.

Overall park amenities consist of five baseball fields, two soccer fields, two basketball courts, one football field, track and field sports areas, a small playground, bleachers for both home and away teams, and a public parking lot.

Estimated construction cost is $1,005,000, with a 15 percent construction contingency of $150,750, for a total estimated project cost of $1,155,750, the proposal says.

Here is a breakdown of costs, as stated in the grant application:

• Clearing site: $125,000
• Home side bleachers (1,985 Seats): $575,000
• Press box: 8 feet deep by 30 feet wide, $175,000
• Retrofit bleachers and press box to existing structure: $100,000
• Electrical upgrades: $30,000

No expansion of any other park amenities such as parking areas, sports fields, walking trails, or playground equipment is proposed under this project. The project will be constructed in a single phase. But implementation can be phased depending on available funding, the proposal states.

The Environmental Assessment for the project says "Environmental impacts to local wildlife, environmentally sensitive areas, and the community are virtually non-existent due to the developed condition of the site and location of the new bleachers within and area of existing impervious surface."

You can either attend the meeting in person or provide written comments on the proposed application to Laura Reinertsen, Borough Clerk, lreinertsen@redbanknj.org, 90 Monmouth St., Red Bank NJ, 07701.