The Holmdel Township Committee has awarded a contract to Fieldturf for the installation of two synthetic turf baseball fields at Phillips Park, 110 Telegraph Hill Road.
During a meeting on July 9, committee members voted unanimously to award the contract to the firm to lay synthetic turf on the park’s lower baseball field at a cost of $414,613 and to lay synthetic turf on the park’s upper baseball field at a cost of $412,360.
According to a cost estimate from Fieldturf, the work will include the installation of new artificial turf on a suitable base, inlaid baseball markings, a center logo, maintenance equipment and an eight-year warranty on the Fieldturf artificial grass surface, with an exception at the home plate area, the base paths and the pitcher’s mound. The warranty on those three areas will be for two years.
Prior to the vote, Committeeman Rocco Pascucci said he was confused about which part of the baseball diamonds would have synthetic turf. He asked if the diamonds would be suitable for softball and other sports in addition to baseball.
Committeeman Tom Critelli said, “Last year, the committee discussed at length turfing the entire lower field, the infield and outfield, and only the infield of the upper field. With the collaboration of the Holmdel Youth Athletic Association … they were willing to give back certain improvements to other facilities if we would turf the entire upper field … We modified (the proposal) to include the entire upper field.”
Critelli said the two new synthetic turf fields would only accommodate baseball.
“Are the lights going to be redone here, too? …. What about fencing and scoreboards?” Committeeman Greg Buontempo asked.
Critelli said the contract with Fieldturf would only cover the cost to place synthetic turf on the two existing baseball diamonds.
On a roll call vote, Mayor Eric Hinds, Deputy Mayor Michael Nikolis, Pascucci, Critelli and Buontempo voted “yes” to award the contract to Fieldturf.
Members of the public applauded the governing body’s stamp of approval.
In 2018, officials scratched a concept plan to develop Phillips Park and decided to make improvements to existing athletic fields. The HYAA submitted a report outlining what its directors described as sub-par conditions of the athletic fields in Holmdel.
