News
FH Fields Grant Application To Ease Access For Disabled
By Ryan Fennell
FAIR HAVEN - The Borough of Fair Haven has begun the process of applying for a Monmouth County Community Development Block Grant for the purpose of further improving Fair Haven Fields with a focus on making the facility more accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
"What we'd like to do is make some more improvements within the site especially when it comes to ADA accessibility improvements," Borough Engineer and Supervisor of Fair Haven Department of Public Works Richard Gardella said.
The concession stand in Fair Haven Fields is one project the borough is looking to improve significantly with regard to accessibility.
The building consists of a concession stand on the lower floor but also provides a room on the second floor that could be used for meetings or gatherings Gardella said.
"The problem is there is no elevator or means for those that have a disability to get up to the second floor," said Gardella. "We would like to propose putting in an elevator so we can open that building up and use it."
The plan also includes making the concession window more accessible and determining whether the existing kitchen is ADA compliant.
The plan would also address inter-connectivity throughout the entire facility. According to Gardella the plan would attempt to connect some of the fields that are difficult to get to as well as create pathways in from the adjacent neighborhoods off Williams Street, Third Street, and McCarter Avenue.
The tennis courts in the facility also present an accessibility issue since they are set lower and require the use of concrete steps to access. Gardella said the Borough would look to install a ramp for access to the courts.
Other amenities would include drinking fountains, appropriate signage, and possibly add one-tenth mile markers along the paths.
"When you enter a site this size, especially if you're from out-of-town, you could have a tendency to get lost if you are looking for a particular field," Gardella said. "Appropriate signage would help with that."
"We are really looking into linking the surrounding community to get into the facility and trying to create an inter-connectivity throughout the site," Gardella added.
Gardella estimated the total cost for everything in the current plan to amount to just under $200,000. The grant that the Borough is applying for is a fully-funded grant which would cover the full cost without the need for matching funds from the borough if the application is approved by the county.
According to Gardella the next step in the process is to present the plan to representatives at the county level. The County would then review all of the applications it receives and Fair Haven would likely hear back from the county regarding the project in the fall of this year Gardella said.
