Howell Modifies Plans For Soldier Memorial Park Upgrades
HOWELL, NJ — Plans to build restrooms at Soldier Memorial Park are on hold as Howell Township officials are revising plans for improvements under a grant the township received from Monmouth County.
Matthew Howard, director of community development for Howell Township, presented a rough outline of the proposed revisions at the Howell Township Council meeting on Sept. 17, to finally put a $250,000 grant received in 2018 to use.
Howard said the initial plans for the grant funding were to add lighting, a concession stand and restrooms to the park, the use of which has grown substantially over the last several years. Soccer, softball and other leagues use the fields regularly, and there are playgrounds at the park. The town also has begun using it regularly for events such as Howell Day last weekend.
Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The idea for a concession stand was dropped a few years ago, Howard said, as food trucks have filled that niche.
The issue of building restrooms remained a strong desire, including during discussions about the park and the grant in 2022. Howard said that when officials began to look more deeply into the potential for building restrooms — as opposed to the portable bathrooms brought in now for events — there were several issues, he said.
Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
For starters the Manasquan River Regional Sewerage Authority has asked the town to not try to connect to its sewer line in that area.
Click Here: Leon Goretzka Jersey Sale
“There are questions about the suitability to tap into the (sewer) line,” Howard said, because of issues with breakages that have been happening. “The line might be getting replaced,” he said but there was no timeline given.
The town also has looked into the possibility of putting in a septic tank-based restroom. Because of the level of use of the park, it would require a septic system that is much more extensive, Howard said.
“We can’t just do a septic system like at home,” he said. “It would be multi-year permit process to essentially create a treatment system.”
Howard said the decision is to shelve the bathrooms for now “because they are not a great use of funds or efforts.”
Instead, the grant funding will be used on other improvements to the park, including a paved walking trail around the property, instead of one with stones. Some of the fields on the complex would be graded to correct sharp slopes that make the fields unusable.
Howard said they also are looking at storage buildings for the various leagues that use Soldier Memorial Park, along with shade structures, picnic tables and seating.
Food trucks have filled the need that a concession stand was intended to meet, at a much lower cost to the township and taxpayers, Howard said. The town put in electrical hookups for the food trucks to use, and with the food trucks feeding hungry people at events, the town does not have the upkeep of a physical building.
There also are no issues with finding staff, a critical problem for many of the leagues who struggle to find enough volunteers as it is, he said.
No members of the public in attendance at the council meeting offered comment on the revised plans. Howard said minutes from the council meeting discussion on the revisions would be forwarded to Monmouth County, and that revised plans would be prepared for the council and the county to see.
Howard said the hope is that construction would begin in the spring.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.