County To Help Moorestown With Softball Field Upgrades

MOORESTOWN, NJ — Moorestown will receive a grant for site work associated with the reconstruction of 2 Softball Fields at Wesley Bishop Park South, Burlington County officials announced on Thursday. It is the first time the county is awarding municipal park grants since 2017.

“I am so glad to begin my tenure working for the residents of Burlington County on such a high note,” Freeholder Linda Hynes, liaison to the Burlington County Department of Resource Conversation, said. “As a Councilwoman in Westampton, I saw the great benefit these grants provide to towns, providing funding for improvements which improve the quality of life for residents and preserve open spaces.”

The funding is used to help towns in the county develop or improve parks for outdoor activity, officials said. Moorestown applied for the grant in September after the Moorestown Youth Softball Association (MYSA) made its case for new fields and upgrades last spring.

The grant program is funded through the County’s dedicated Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. No municipal cost share or “match” is required to receive this grant funding. However, the funding is exclusively for hard costs, such as construction and repair of facilities, and not for the purchase of equipment or for operational and maintenance costs. Funds may be applied to the acquisition of recreational land or local cost share for farmland preservation.

All 40 towns were eligible to apply for funding up to $250,000 as part of the county’s 2019 Municipal Park Development Grants. Moorestown was one of 24 towns that received a total of $3.65 million in grants. Specific grant totals weren’t listed in Thursday evening’s announcement.

The total cost of the softball fields project is estimated to be $610,300. The softball fields are in a low-lying area near wetlands, and it can take a day or two to completely dry out, MYSA Board Member Bob Reilley previously told council and the township's recreation advisory committee.

He said there more than 10 instances over the past few seasons in which MYSA had to cancel games on days in which teams in other towns were able to play games. MYSA has also asked to have another field built, but that request is not covered by this grant.

MYSA has said that having three fields would enable them to hold tournaments, and in turn help with some costs related to the upgrades.

In 2008, the Moorestown Recreation Advisory Committee put together a report detailing the needs at the various youth athletic facilities across the township. In 2014, Moorestown Council set aside $150,000 for engineer and design services for upgrades for those facilities, including the fields used by the Moorestown Youth Softball Association (MYSA).

Just about everything else is complete, but the softball fields are still in need of attention.

The full list of projects across the county to be funded by grants are as follows:

1. Bordentown Township: Northern Community Park Improvements
2. Burlington City: Bike Path and Share the Road Bike Route connecting Delaware River Heritage Trail to JFK Park
3. Burlington Township: Relamping of Baseball Field Sports Lights at Green Acres 4; Installation of New Sports Field Lighting at Green Acres 1 Practice Soccer Field; Extend Existing Sports Lighting at Green Acres 1 Soccer Field
4. Cinnaminson: Wood Park lighting upgrades
5. Delran: Delran Community Park Improvements Phase VI - Walking Path/Parking Lot
6. Eastampton: Replacement of play structures at Buttonwood Park Playground and Municipal Gazebo and Armed Forces Memorial
7. Edgewater Park: Roosevelt Park improvements to include expansion of existing pond; trail reconstruction; installation of a pedestrian bridge; landscaping; park amenities and signage; trail will be part of Delaware River Heritage Trail
8. Evesham: Improvements to 5 Neighborhood Parks
9. Fieldsboro: Improvements to playground at Municipal Building
10. Florence: Restroom/storage building at Veterans Park; fishing pier, path lighting and gazebo at Roebling Park; trail connections at Broad and West 6th Street
11. Hainesport: Municipal Park playground improvements - new equipment for Special Needs playground and upgrade to surface
12. Maple Shade: Improvements to John F. Kennedy Field
13. Medford Lakes: Cabin Circle Park Improvements to include walking path; wilderness observation deck and boardwalk; park amenities, landscaping and signage
14. Moorestown: Site work associated with the reconstruction of 2 Softball Fields at Wesley Bishop Park South
15. Mount Holly: Improvements to Chestnut Street Park
16. Mount Laurel: Reconstruct basketball courts at Mill Run; replace play equipment at Bretton Way Tot Lot; install irrigation at community gardens
17. Pemberton Township: Replace the surface material at Imagination Kingdom Park - a fully accessible playground
18. Riverton: Playground upgrades for ADA accessibility
19. Shamong: New playground equipment at Larkspur Park and Indian Mills Park
20. Southampton : Good Farm Recreation Complex expansion
21. Tabernacle: Prickett's Mill Park improvements
22. Washington: Recreation improvements at community center to include pavilion, lighting, fencing, bocce ball court, park amenities, and lighting
23. Westampton: Balance of local cost share due County for preservation of Deacon Farm; improvements to Rolling Hills playground
24. Willingboro: Construction of an Amphitheater at Willingboro Town Center for cultural events and activities

See related:
MYSA Packs Council Room, Makes Plea For New Fields
MYSA Makes Formal Proposal For New Field, Upgrades
MYSA Continues To Seek Softball Field Upgrades