Plumsted's fourth park now in planning stages

PLUMSTED - The Township Com-mittee has authorized the submittal of a Centers of Place grant application to the state Department of Transportation and requested $131,234 to fund the development of a new park to be known as Volunteer Park.

According to Mayor Ron Dancer, the Main Street New Egypt organization has been at the forefront to construct Volun-teer Park as a tribute to the community's volunteer firefighters and first aid squad members.

Volunteer Park will be on the site where Plumsted's first firehouse and first aid squad building was located on Evergreen Road, along the banks of Crosswicks Creek, in close proximity to Main Street.

To date, the Main Street New Egypt organization has raised more than $13,000 in donations that has paid for the demolition of the old firehouse, site improvements, soil erosion stabilization, a property survey and professional design plans for Volunteer Park.

The conceptual design plans for the new park include a monument wall with plaques dedicated to Plumsted's fire and first aid squad members, flag poles, picnic areas and waterfront access improvements to Crosswicks Creek.

A canoe/kayak launch area will provide a public access point for boating and fishing. Volunteer Park will become the municipality's fourth park, in addition to the Recreation Park, Oakford Lake Park and Paradise Park.

According to Dancer, the DOT Centers of Place grants are only awarded to municipalities that have been approved by the state Office of Smart Growth as having a designated town center.

He said the Township Com-mittee applied to the state nearly 10 years ago to have the downtown New Egypt section of Plum-sted designated and became the first municipality in Ocean County with an ap-proved town center.

In previous years, the Township Committee has applied for and received Centers of Place grants to fund the acquisition and installation of a pedestrian bridge across Oakford Lake in the amount of $140,000 and the development of an additional parking lot on Evergreen Road for $125,000, the mayor said. The grants are not required to be paid back to the state.

The next regularly scheduled public meeting of the Township Committee will be July 18 at 8 p.m. Residents may meet personally with Dancer at the library on the second Wednesday of each month from 7-9 p.m. to discuss local concerns or state issues.