CAPE MAY – Cape May City Council heard a presentation by James Rutala July 5 on alternative layouts for the next phases of the Lafayette Street Park facility.
Rutala was hired by the city to consider options for concept planning for the park.
With the smaller phase one playground area completed, the park project is at a stage where the city must begin planning and designing the other, larger areas of the facility.
Rutala said that he did not make changes to the desired functions for the next phases of the park rejuvenation.
“The functions in the earlier concept plans were the result of a great deal of consensus at the time,” he said.
What the alternative view was about was the “orientation of the functions,” where they are located and how they fit together in a final plan.
Perhaps one of the most significant changes is an increase in the parking available and the movement of egress to and from the parking off Lafayette Street.
The alternative plans called for 90 to 100 spaces, but they do not have cars entering or leaving the facility directly from or onto Lafayette Street.
An “L shape” design would move cars onto the side street at Jefferson for access to parking.
The concept also expands the baseball field to regulation size, maintains multiple sports areas including basketball, soccer, and tennis, and integrates the active portions of the park with a more passive natural park of existing trails through 11 acres of wetlands at the park of the total 40 acres.
Rutala said the next step would be hiring professionals to begin an actual design and state permitting process during which council and community concerns and ideas could be considered and included where appropriate. “This can be molded,” he said.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
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