A second round of improvements are planned for Terry Field in Bordentown.
After the Bordentown Township Committee approved a two-phase plan for upgrades and improvements to Terry Field, which is located on West Constitution Drive last year, the committee approved a resolution at a Feb. 10 meeting to enter into the second phase of the project.
The resolution approved by the committee at its February meeting accepted a proposal from Turek Consulting, LLC, for the planned enhancements.
Officials explained that the reason for the changes to the local park came after several residents, who live within proximity of the field, brought some of their concerns with the location to the municipality. Officials said they worked to address the matter once residents reached out with an intent to resolve it.
“There was an old baseball field there that was not used regularly, which was an issue for some of the residents that lived around it, and parking was an issue there,” Bordentown Township Administrator Michael Theokas said. “So, the baseball field was removed and graded out where a lot of the trees were planted.”
Theokas explained that during the project’s first phase, a “considerable amount” of trees were planted with additional vegetation and buffering in the park to help address stormwater drainage in and around the site. Officials said the aim of this stormwater drainage is to benefit surrounding neighborhoods.
Upon the completion of the project’s first phase, Theokas said the second phase of it is planned to install multiple amenities and recreational uses at the site.
“Phase II, which is going to be a bigger portion of the project, is to create a winding walking path through the park and along the path, there’s going to be four benches, a picnic table, a charcoal grill station, and a resurfacing of the ‘tot lot’ there and the existing basketball court,” he said.
Funding for this two-phase project was provided by multiple sources, according to officials. Theokas said that the total improvements and upgrades to the field cost approximately $150,000, which was funded by the township’s tree fund, county grants and money allocated from the municipal budget.
Officials said that in order to compensate for lost trees in the community due to recent, approved development projects, it is required that developers replace the trees by planting new, similar sized trees, or by contributing to the township’s tree fund. This fund was recently used to reforest the Luyber Property in Bordentown with approximately 1,900 new native trees, according to officials.
“The goal is to make it a community park, which will be accessible for all the surrounding neighborhoods. We have spent a lot of time and effort on our larger parks, but this one needed a little attention, and we were able to allocate some of our grant money, tree fund money, and some municipal dollars to put toward that park,” Theokas said. “It’s really valuable for the people in that area because it’s something they can get to by walking, and we look forward to it becoming a park that everyone can be proud of and utilize.”
The township administrator further explained that the decision and actions taken by the municipality for Terry Field have played a role in an aim to enhance multiple parks and recreational sites throughout the area.
Alongside the Luyber Property, multiple upgrades to local parks have already been implemented or are planned at the township’s Northern Community Park, Joseph Lawrence Park, and the former Dix Drive-In Property.
Officials said the completion of the Terry Field upgrades are planned for early summer.
