Despite what you heard! Stevenson Park is not Safe

Despite what you have heard,

Stevenson Park, located along

West Front Street, Has Not Been Saved!

The Middletown Township Committee

Plan Proposes

• Nine athletic fields
• 324 Parking Spaces

Which would overwhelm the dangerous, winding, narrow, residential West Front Street.

The property contains Shadow Lake and abuts Shady Oaks and Shadow Lake residents as shown

Here are the Facts:

• Middletown’s young athletes deserve safe and accessible playing fields. This can be accomplished with collaboration among the Township Committee, the Board of Education and our residents.
• At its September 4 committee meeting, the Middletown Township Committee (TC) unveiled its plans to develop a long-sought sports complex at the Stevenson Park, a peaceful place for boating, walking, fishing, & picnicking and a natural, open space to enjoy for residents and local wildlife. For phase I of this plan, the TC sought a county open space grant application for $250,000.
• Following a pattern of secrecy and lack of transparency (which they used previously in the controversial Project 35 over-development project) the TC did not notify neighboring residents. This was a blatant attempt to keep residents in the dark. When the plan was challenged by residents, the TC was arrogant, disrespectful, dismissive and deceptive to many who spoke.
• The traffic it will create on a regular basis will totally overwhelm West Front Street and surrounding roadways.
• When the town administrator was asked if a traffic study was done, he replied, “A traffic study was not necessary, and we already know what it is going to say.”
• An OPRA 5-year traffic incident report at this location detailed 80 auto crashes and 2 fatalities!
• On Thursday, October 25, the TC formally withdrew its application to Monmouth County Parks for a $250,000 grant to build Phase 1 of their proposed 9 field, 324 parking space, multi-sport project.
• Following the grant withdrawal, some might believe that The Park has been saved. That is what the TC wants you to believe. At the TC Oct 15 meeting, the Township administrator was asked if the TC would pursue the project if the grant was denied. He replied, “Yes, we can pursue other funding sources.”

· Through OPRA, we obtained the original grant application and learned its estimated cost was approximately $5 million. The $250,000 grant would barely dent the taxpayers’ cost.

· After the election, there is nothing protecting Stevenson Park as there is nothing preventing this township committee from going forward with this project.

· The only way Stevenson Park can be protected is for the TC to create a Conservation Easement to preserve its use for passive recreation forever.

When it comes time to vote on Nov 6, ask yourself the following question; do I want more of the existing TC, which lacks transparency and intentionally misleads the public, or is it time for new voices that are willing to work in the open? We hope you will cast your ballot for those who want to SAVE STEVENSON PARK. That is Maguire, Byrnes and Walsh.