VILLAS – In the age of social distancing, Lower Township residents have been clamoring for open space to get out and enjoy the outdoors.
With state outdoor gathering restrictions eased, residents may see Mulligan Park, at Harvard and Tomlin avenues for the last 20 years, scheduled for an almost $2 million facelift, thanks to a $1.5 million bond ordinance introduced at the June 1 Lower Township Council meeting and a $400,000 New Jersey Clean Communities grant. The second reading and public hearing were scheduled for June 15.
The new park, named the Clem Mulligan Sports Complex, would sit on the same site as the current park, but would feature considerable upgrades, including a regulation Little League field, a soccer/all-purpose field, resurfaced basketball courts, age-specific playgrounds, a lighted walking path and a new snack bar with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant bathrooms.
Lower Township Manager James Ridgway said all facilities and fields would be ADA compliant.
“The current snack bar, storage, and bathrooms are really dated and we decided to go with new construction to make sure everything is up to standard,” Ridgway said.
Security concerns at the park were addressed with new lighting and low-height shrubbery. Ridgway said an attendant may be present at the park, at times, and security cameras would be in place. The park would not be completely locked at night.
“The walking path will be well-lit and open for use at all hours. The sight angles of the new park will make it easy to see the entire park from any point,” Ridgway explained.
The playground area would feature new equipment, with age-specific play areas for children 2-5 years old and another for 5-12 years old.
The basketball court backboards were recently upgraded, but the court would be resurfaced and spruced up, Ridgway said.
The soccer field is needed, as the township utilizes fields throughout the municipality and Cape May.
Ridgway said parking would be available on the Bates and Caroline avenues sides of the field.
“We have had plans to modernize the township parks for a number of years. We started with Freeman Douglass Park, adjacent to Lower Cape May Regional High School, and now are moving forward with the other parks,” said Ridgway.
Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Mitchell Plenn said if the ordinance passed, Clem Mulligan Sports Complex could go out to bid by early July.
“The bidding process takes about a month, and our engineer estimates an early September start time if everything goes as planned,” Plenn said.
Mitnick Park, on Jonathan Hoffman Road, across from Channel Apartments, is in the bidding process, Plenn said, and Rotary Park, on Bayshore Road, in North Cape May, has some unexpected issues that the township is working to address.
“We want our parks to be clean, modern, and well-appointed to give our kids nice places to play,” Ridgway added.
To contact Carl Price, email cprice@cmcherald.com.
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