Residents anxious to see Freewood Acres park
Howell neighborhood's new rec site has been subject of discussion for several years
BY TOYNETT HALL
Staff Writer

Up until now, sand lots and streets were the only places children who lived in Howell's Freewood Acres section could play. That will change when a highly anticipated community park is built at the end of the summer.

The park to be built on Smith Avenue, off Hulses Road, Howell, has been discussed for almost four years. According to a previous story, difficulty in securing land and planning for the use of the space made the task difficult. The park's location is west of Route 9 in the vicinity of Interstate 195.

According to Howell Mayor Joseph DiBella, the planned Freewood Acres park is the brainchild of former Township Council member Juan Malave.

DiBella said most neighborhoods in Howell have their own park in close proximity to where they were developed. Freewood Acres has no such recreational site.

Resident Kerry Williams has been an advocate for this initiative. Williams said he grew up in the neighborhood and would love to see the park plan come to fruition.

"These kids never had anything in this area, here on this side. The closest park is Winston Park and Oak Glen. This is a working-class community. When our children want to be involved, it's a problem to transport them to those other areas," Williams said.

According to Williams, the impetus for his involvement in the park project is to provide the children of Freewood Acres with a park and recreational opportunities.

Howell Deputy Manager Helene Schlegel said Down to Earth Landscaping of Jackson was awarded a contract to construct the park. She said the total cost of construction is $176,729. Part of the cost will be paid by a $62,000 grant awarded by the Monmouth County Open Space program. The rest of the funding will come from a municipal capital improvement appropriation that was set aside in 2005.

Schlegel said the entire project will be constructed in one phase on 6 acres of a 23-acre site and include amenities such as a basketball court, playground, walking path and picnic area.

"We are trying to preserve as much of the natural landscape as possible," she said.

In addition to having a neighborhood park, members of the community said they would like the recreational area to also become a memorial to people in the neighborhood who have died.

"It is my position to have the makeshift memorials in our area be part of the development and have them put here, like a plaque with the names of [people] who died," Williams said.

Nelson Rivera, a 10-year resident of Freewood Acres, shares Williams' sentiments. Rivera said his family placed a makeshift memorial on the grounds in front of the proposed park site to honor the loss of his nephew Michael, who died in a car accident eight years ago.

Rivera said he believes it would be a nice gesture for the township to memorialize the park for families in the community who have lost loved ones.

Schlegel said there are plans to put a memorial in the park; however, officials have not decided exactly what shape the memorial will take.