Parks and Recreation Facilities in Scotch Plains Are Soaring to New Heights

There is a lot of positive discussion in town right now about our parks, recreation, and youth sports facilities. Residents have been sharing their thoughts about what the future should hold for these treasured public resources. 

Such public engagement is exactly how sound public policy decisions are made. Respectful debate and an appreciation for the interests of all stakeholders is what a representative democracy is all about.

Parks and Recreation facilities are vital to our community. They are centers for socializing, the exploration of nature, and healthy competition.  When these facilities are left to deteriorate, a critical piece of our identity suffers.  I believe that having state-of-the-art, beautiful, and functional parks and recreation spaces is universally a source of pride for all Scotch Plains residents.

That is why my colleagues and I on the Township Council have made revitalizing our parks and recreation spaces such a priority.

Since just 2021, when I joined the Council, we have:

• Dramatically upgraded Southside Field after it was left in dangerous disrepair;
• Created partnerships with Union County for parking improvements at Ponderosa Park, the upcoming field renovations at the Union County Vo-Tech campus, and plans to build  a passive recreation facility by the trailheads at the gateway to the Watchung Reservation off Glenside Avenue;
• Designed and funded a brand new playground at Green Side Park that will come online in a few short months;
• Reimagined Green Forest Park into a modern multi-use facility to replace the dilapidated tennis courts that have long been an eyesore; and
• Funded the installation of state-of-the-art LED lighting at Brookside Park to increase use of the badly under-utilized ball field to accommodate increased demand for baseball and softball facilities in town.

Despite all of this progress, we are just scratching the surface after too many years of our parks and recreation facilities not getting the attention that they need to remain on par with the expectations of taxpayers or the comparable facilities of neighboring communities. 

There is no doubt that these large-scale projects are expensive; they cannot happen overnight.  But we have been able to make significant improvements without impacting municipal property taxes. We have also leveraged outside funding sources, such as county and state grants, as well as a public-private partnership that stands as a model for future projects. 

One of the primary reasons why there has had to be such significant investments in our park facilities over the last couple of years is because, for too long, our township’s elected leaders did not fund facility improvements. Parks and recreation continually fell to the bottom of the priority list.  That is not a political criticism; it is a reality that explains the current situation.

Our predecessors also missed opportunities to secure land like the former Parker Gardens on Terrill Road to create new parks, recreation, and youth sports facilities.  Land is at a premium in Scotch Plains, but there are active discussions underway between the Township and private landowners to acquire new parkland.  Those discussions are speculative, and with lofty, long-term goals in mind.  In the short term, we need to create solutions for the parkland we already have.

I am the father of three very active boys who play a host of sports in town. 

On the sidelines at my son’s baseball game recently, a parent told me how disappointed he was to see rows of townhomes “packed in like sardines” at the former Parker Gardens site instead of a central youth sports complex like we see in other towns. 

I totally agree with his assessment.  Nonetheless, that project predates any of the members of the current Council, and we are unfortunately not going to un-ring that bell.  Instead, we must enhance the facilities we do have to maximize their safety, usability, and overall aesthetics. That means that some of our parks will need to be reconfigured and upgraded.

During a soccer game at Jerseyland Park last fall, a referee almost cancelled a game because of safety concerns, given all the divots in the grass. That referee had no idea that the parent manager of the home team is a Scotch Plains Council Member and the liaison to our town’s Recreation Department: Me.  That was a striking reminder of the work that remains.

Mayor Josh Losardo and I have participated in many formal and informal meetings with the town’s Allied Associations, representatives of the Recreation Commission, and other community partners like representatives of the Board of Education, to discuss the acute parks and recreation needs of our community.

We have universally heard for years that we have a shortage of park and recreation facilities, and that the ones we do have need significant improvements.  We have taken this feedback to heart; it has motivated the Township Council’s focus over the last couple of years.  Our concerted action on parks and recreation cannot stop.

Earlier this month, the dedicated citizen volunteers on the Recreation Commission voted by a wide margin to recommend that the under-used ballfield at Brookside Park be given a series of long overdue updates as part of the 2023 Township Capital Budget, including multisport synthetic turf, player dugouts, new fencing, accessibility improvements, and spectator enhancements. 

The commission logically concluded this project would build upon the already funded lighting project at Brookside field that is currently in the design and engineering phase.  Other recommended updates to Brookside Park’s nature trails and the park’s other more passive recreational elements have also been recommended for adoption into the 2023 municipal budget.

Having actively participated in the Recreation Commission’s public deliberations about these much-needed improvements to Brookside Park for more than a year, I know that the Commission carefully weighed all angles before voting on their ultimate recommendations to the Council.  There has been a robust amount of public input about the ballfield at Brookside since 2021, when the lighting project was first being discussed. While the Recreation Commission can investigate and propose park improvements, the Township Council has the legal authority to allocate the funds to actually make them happen.

There are members of our community who want to be heard by the Township Council before a vote is taken on whether to fund the proposed improvements to the ballfield at Brookside Park.  Some residents have expressed a desire to convince the Council that synthetic turf is not an appropriate playing surface. Others have expressed concerns about the increase in park usage that would come with field improvements.  Ultimately, the Council will have to decide what, in its judgment, is in the best interests of all the stakeholders in our community.  That can only happen after receiving as much public input as possible.

Accordingly, the Council will hear from residents in a public forum where professionals will be on hand to answer questions about the proposed upgrades at Brookside Park. The March 7 council business meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Town Hall.  The meeting will also be broadcast on Scotch Plains TV and Facebook Live.

All interested residents should attend and express their thoughts. I have every confidence that the results of these measured deliberations will be dramatically improved by additional public input.

Parks and recreation facilities in Scotch Plains are soaring to new heights under the leadership of the Mayor and this Council, together with our partners on the Recreation Commission, the Allied Associations, and concerned citizens.  Together, we are moving our community forward. 

Brookside Park has always been a multi-use facility, combining the simple, natural beauty of a pond, nature trails, and open green space with the functionality of highly-desired amenities like tennis courts, pickleball courts, a playground, covered picnic space, basketball courts, and a baseball/ softball field. 

We have vowed to end the era of neglect with respect to the parks and recreation facilities in Scotch Plains, and with the public’s input, the Council plans to keep doing exactly that.