Aiming to light up the path that winds through Veterans Park, off Oakland Terrace, the Lawrence Township Council has awarded a contract to consulting firm Clarke Caton & Hintz.
The Trenton-based planning and consulting firm will be paid up to $7,000 to study the path and design lighting – most likely, bollard-style lighting. Bollard lights are ground-mounted.
Clarke Caton & Hintz will work with Kelter & Gilligo Consulting Engineers to examine the conditions in the park, review cost-effective solutions and prepare a cost estimate.
If township officials approve of the proposed lighting site design, the two consultants will prepare bid specification documents so the project can be put out to bid.
The proposed improvements to the lighting are part of improvements to Veterans Park, Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski told the Lawrence Township Council last month.
Those improvements include updates to the restrooms and to improve the lighting on the path, Nerwinski said.
“If anyone goes there at night, it’s really dark and it presents an unsafe situation. Yet people still utilize the park, especially now, when it gets dark earlier,” he said.
When the meeting was opened for public comment, Nick Sferra thanked the Township Council and Nerwinski. Sferra lives on Oakland Terrace, near Veterans Park.
“The improvements will be much appreciated,” said Sferra, who also asked about the type of lighting that may be installed in the park.
Nerwinski said the lighting will not be pole-mounted floodlights.
“Any lighting that is proposed is to illuminate the path and the path only. We are proposing soft lighting that will be directed toward the path,” Nerwinski said.
