Much-needed ballfields on the way to Monroe
Baseball leagues could have new fields by spring 2008
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

Play ball! Children in Monroe Township leagues can expect to hear those two beloved words more often, now that new ballfields are proposed at James Monroe Park.

The $1.2 million project is expected to be voted on by the Township Council at its March 5 meeting.

"The enrollment in the baseball leagues has expanded rapidly," Councilman Irwin Nalitt said. "We're at a point now where we can't ignore it anymore; we have the funds available, and we're always happy to do something for the kids."

Enrollment has increased from 350 children in 1999 to nearly 900 in 2006, according to Monroe Township Baseball Association (MTBA) President Michael Peto. The influx has limited the number of practices and games the children can play, he said.

The leagues mostly use the three existing fields at James Monroe Park, one of which is league-sized, with the other two built for Little League games. The fields at Thompson Park are sometimes available, but Peto said his group does not have full access to use them.

"We are at the mercy of the county sometimes with Thompson Park," Peto said.

Leagues for children ages 4 and 5 use the practice fields at the Daniel Ryan football complex, which are just grass, and lack in several features needed for playing baseball. With children under 8 years old comprising more than half of those enrolled in the leagues, Peto said, it is important for them to have appropriate playing fields.

"There are holes in the ground, the ground is uneven and the geese patrol the area," Peto said. "It's really not a good place for our kids to play baseball."

The football fields also do not have bathrooms for the youngsters, or concession stands for parents and other fans.

Peto said the leagues have actually lost playing space, because they used to be able to utilize a field at the Mill Lake School before it was rebuilt. Now, the field they played on no longer exists.

If the project is approved, there will be a total of five Little League-sized fields at James Monroe Park for the teams. The major league-sized field will be split in two, and one instructional-sized field will be built.

While the instructional field has the same 60 feet between bases and 46 feet between the pitcher's mound and home plate, Peto said, it differs in the fencing around the field. According to Peto, other towns throughout the state are building instructional sized fields for their younger players.

Two other fields will be constructed outside of James Monroe Park, but their location is yet to be decided.

"The idea is to have it ready for the 2008 season in the spring," Township Business Administrator Wayne Hamilton said.

Feist Engineering will design the project and prepare its bid specifications, according to Hamilton. The bidding process is expected to begin in June or July, and work should start sometime in October.

A $500,000 grant from the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders will cover almost half the project, with the rest coming from municipal bonds and notes, Hamilton said. The ordinance voted on will be to authorize the additional monies to be used.

"By offering towns recreation grants, we are giving them the ability to create a wide variety of quality facilities," Freeholder Camille Fernicola said.

The MTBA has been trying for several years to get the ball rolling on new fields for the kids, Peto said. Last year, Mayor Richard Pucci asked that a task force be formed to address the issue. He appointed Recreational Advisory Board Chairman Dominic Scarano to head the task force, which also includes Councilwoman Joanne Connelly, recreation advisory board members Bert Mattola and Andrew Fasbach, along with Peto and several others.

"It was [the] work of the task force that got us where we are today," Hamilton said.