McCarter Park is among a number of properties in line for upgrades in Fair Haven. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
When, or if, we ever thaw out from this relentless winter, Fair Haven’s got a lot of work to do. And almost all of it is free of charge to the borough.
Mayor Mike Halfacre told redbankgreen there’s a slew of projects on the horizon that will boost the quality of life in town, from field renovations to street upgrades.
“There’s a lot of stuff coming up, but not a lot of stuff happening” right now, he said.
Here’s a rundown of what’s to come in spring ’11:
- McCarter Park, across from Sickles School, will get renovations to its existing baseball field, and a new multi-purpose field will be added. Up the street at McCarter Pond, an aerator will be installed to help water flow at the pond. The aerator will help keep algae levels down and curb the stink it produces in the warmer months, Halfacre said. Both are to be paid for through a $90,000 Monmouth County grant, the mayor said.
- The second phase of upgrades at Fair Haven Fields will also get going in the spring. This plan includes a new multi-purpose field, a baseball field — bringing the total to four — and new walking trails. The work, which will be done by the borough’s public works department, is covered by a $195,000 state grant, Halfacre said.
- Work on the federally-funded River Road streetscape is winding down, but there’s more to be done on the borough’s end, Halfacre said. The council will go out to bid on a project to pave and install new curbing to the east end of River Road, from Oak Place to the Rumson border. Halfacre isn’t sure what it will cost yet, but it will be paid for with tax dollars built into the budget. The borough doesn’t bond anymore, and doesn’t spend any more than $250,000 for capital projects, he said. “When we have an idea of what it costs, we’ll go out to bid,” Halfacre said.
“We expect to have a very busy year with some of this infrastructure stuff,” he said.
