Scores support sports bubble idea
By David M. Zimmer
Suburban Trends
Sunday, March 29, 2009

In a town hall meeting room packed with residents supporting the construction of a for-profit indoor sports complex on municipal property, the Township Council agreed to attempt the impossible and seek relief from state departments to develop properties in the face of stringent restrictions in the Highlands Preservation Area.

During the March 26 meeting, more than 40 people showed up to support a concept that would allow Athletic Fields of America, a private developer based in Montville, to build a multi-sport complex with three indoor turf fields at its own cost on a leased portion of municipal property, while donating a natural, outdoor field for the benefit of the township.

The site, developed at no cost to the taxpayers, would include either an 80,000 square-foot ClearSpan fabric structure or sports bubble, similar to the one adjacent to Giants Stadium, with three multi-sport fields stretching 360-feet by 220-feet and a pre-engineered building in the middle, according to Phil Pirro from Athletic Fields of America.

Other options, like a track, pool, or hockey rink could also be worked in along with weight rooms, showers, and a café, Pirro said.

The facility could feasible be up in six to eight months after the site plan is approved, Athletic Fields of America Chairman Paul Martino said. And if the company goes bankrupt, Martino said the township will own the building.

Nevertheless, the concept, which Martino said has never been done before, revolved around the idea of placing the roughly 8-acre complex at the nearly 100-acre Random Woods site, which was formerly proposed to be a large subdivision between Macopin and Ridge roads and is still owned by a private party.

As a result, Councilman Robert Nolan said that there can be no expectation that the town will ever own the property. And even if the township does own the property, it is uncertain how state officials will feel about a municipal-corporate collaboration made by using state grant money to purchase a property that would be leased to a for-profit business.

According to Township Attorney Fred Semrau, the township is relying heavily on grant funding for the property with an asking price of $2.3 million.

Currently, Semrau said the township only has $250,000 in grant funding dedicated for the acquisition of the property, which is contingent on having $1.8 million in open space funding for the property. The Township has six more months to determine if it wants to go ahead with the purchase.

Still, he said that the Highlands legislation would probably preclude this use for the property, although township officials have negotiated with state officials for the possibility of subdividing eight to ten acres of the property for a library, community center, or recreation facility.

Planning Board Engineer Paul Ferriero agreed with Semrau that the state restrictions to build and indoor sports complex on this property are “likely insurmountable.” With 3 percent maximum coverage allowed by rule, he said the town would only be able to develop 3 acres, but the building would likely cover around 2 acres.

While there are ways to work with the Highlands Council, it is just an advisory board to the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which is “not thrilled with development,” Ferriero said.

As a result, Semrau said that the township should attempt to propose a project to the Highlands Council for Random Woods that has the best probability of success and benefits the community.

“If you can’t do it now, you can probably never do it,” Semrau said.

Council Presidents Joseph Smolinski agreed with Semrau that despite the obstacles, this would be the best year to try to go “against the grain” of the Highlands legislation and propose a development project that would benefit the community, in an attempt to get a Highlands exemption permit.

“Outside of this area [other towns] have free reign. They can do what ever they want for their kids, their programs. We cannot,” Smolinski said. “Our hands are tied sometimes.”

Councilman Salvatore Schimmenti said the township should be optimistic about the possibility of this going through, saying that this is an extraordinary concept for an extraordinary town.

The council ultimately agreed that the township is in desperate need of fields, specifically tournament quality fields, and this concept is one worth pursuing in Trenton as it could be a beneficial use of open space money and property.

Mayor Bettina Bieri said that once a more official plan is submitted to the township, it can approach officials from the Highlands Council and the DEP and possibly include this as part of the township’s master plan. Moreover, she said the township could also attempt to get the facility, or possibly and additional facility, at the former Jungle Habitat theme park near Greenwood Lake Airport.

Nevertheless, like Random Woods, the township does not own Jungle Habitat. The approximately 800-acre site is owned by the state, but is ideal with two large parking lots that could be used for development.

Even though the township has a lease agreement with the state for the property, Schimmenti relayed that state officials said that any profit made at Jungle Habitat must go back into the property. Moreover, he said that the state does not want any of the asphalt disturbed or any bathroom facilities built on the property, making it even more unlikely to have a facility there than at Random Woods.

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