TINTON FALLS PRESERVES OPEN SPACE AND UNVEILS NEW PARK
TINTON FALLS PRESERVES OPEN SPACE AND UNVEILS NEW PARK
TINTON FALLS, NJ – The Borough of Tinton Falls held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this past Friday to celebrate the grand opening of the new Wardell Park, located at 230 Wardell Road near the Fox Chase residential development. The new 4.5 acre recreation area consists of a large playground, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, and six dedicated pickleball courts, and is part of a larger tract of land acquired by the Borough in an effort to conserve open space.
The parking lot is constructed partially of porous asphalt for 50 vehicles, with an infiltration basin for stormwater management. All facilities and courts are lit for evening use, and the lights are on a timer so as not to disturb any nearby residents. Much of the remainder of the parcel is wetlands and is unlikely to be developed.
Borough, County and State officials in attendance on June 30th included Tinton Falls Mayor Vito Perillo, members of the Tinton Falls Borough Council, Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, and Ross Licitra from the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners. Residents were invited to play on the playground and to try their hand at pickleball. The park boasts the largest dedicated and lighted pickleball facility in the County and a local club was also on hand to provide a demonstration of this popular new sport.
The recreation area is part of a larger 75-acre tract of land originally slated for a 273-unit residential community with a clubhouse and a swimming. Approximately 46 acres were directly purchased by the Borough, with a conservation easement established across the remaining 27 acres to preserve the property as open space and prevent future development. The Borough received approximately $1.1 million in NJDEP Green Acres funds and $250,000 in Monmouth County Open Space grant funds to offset the Borough’s acquisition cost of these properties. They also received a second Monmouth County Open Space grant in the amount of $200,000 for the construction of the new facility.
“I would like to thank prior mayors and council for their foresight and ability to purchase this property. The Council and I are really proud that the Borough was able to conserve these natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for our residents. It would not have happened without the support of Monmouth County or the State,” said Vito Perillo, Mayor of the Borough of Tinton Falls, “A big thank you to our project team of T&M Associates and Shore Top Construction for bringing this project to fruition.”
The Borough’s engineering firm, T&M Associates, played a critical role in obtaining grants, addressing environmental requirements, the design of the park and overseeing the construction. The $1.1 million project was constructed by Shore Top Construction.
About the Borough of Tinton Falls, New Jersey
Established in 1665, Tinton Falls is a large suburban community located in Eastern Monmouth County. The Borough, 15.6 square miles in size, is unique in shape, measuring approximately 9 miles in length and 1 ¾ miles in width. The Borough is bordered by nine other municipalities. Tinton Falls contains scattered residential neighborhoods and commercial development as well as several large public land uses, including Naval Weapons Station Earle, Fort Monmouth, and the Monmouth County Reclamation Center. Several watercourses pass through the Borough including Lafretras Brook and Jumping Brook, and several other waterways (Swimming River, Shark River and Pine Brook) form portions of the Borough’s border along its Southern and Western sides. For more information, visit https://www.tintonfalls.com/
