Path Cleared for Garwood's Long-Awaited Recreation Project

After appearing all but stalled, plans for the borough's long-awaited athletic field and recreation project are moving forward. At Tuesday night's borough council meeting a bond ordinance was introduced to finance the increasingly pricey project. That measure was passed 5 to 1, according to a report on the Clark-Garwood patch.  The ordinance will go before a public hearing at the next council meeting, the report says. According to officials the price tag for the site is now topping $3.2 million dollars. Officials say the hike is due to an increase in materials costs, previous published reports say. Despite the spike in cost, the Mayor of Garwood and a majority of councilmembers continue to back the project.

For years, Garwood has been inching ever closer to realizing grand plans for the future athletic complex at the Little League Field. Over that time, the project's price tag has continued to rise. In fact, as recent as last year the cost was estimated to be about a million dollars less ($2.1 million dollars). Site plans were approved in 2010 by the planning board in hopes of creating a recreational centerpiece for borough residents. Plans for an updated complex were first discussed in earnest in 2005. Initial plans mulled a June 2011 groundbreaking for the site, that deadline has come and gone.

The massive overhaul of the site is expected to include dozens of new amenities. Supporters say the site will add value to the town, others says it's simply too expensive for borough taxpayers.