Borden Park Soccer Field Improvements on the Way

The Maplewood Township Committee (TC) recently voted to allocate up to $35,000 in reserve funds from the town’s Open Space Trust Fund (OSTF) budget to renovate the soccer fields at Borden Park. 

The park, on Orchard Road off Parker Avenue, is one of the most used in town and its fields are showing signs of wear, officials said. Department of Public Works (DPW) Director Eric Burbank presented a plan at the July 16 TC meeting to restore the fields this fall. 

Rather than closing the field twice in one year, as has happened with DeHart Park, this expedited plan would reduce the amount of time the field is out of commission, Burbank said. 

The town would shut down the field in August for resurfacing and regarding, and would add temporary curbing to prevent runoff and erosion. “This will give us a nicely seeded field,” Burbank said. 

The field would reopen by April, in time for the spring playing season. (The town would aerate and seed again in the spring but the field would remain open for play.) 

The plan is the most cost-effective, said Burbank. He said the process of closing and resting fields was not the way to go in the future because it causes the overuse of other fields in a “never-ending cycle.” In the new plan, the town will irrigate and seed fields twice a year and play will not have to stop. 

"This is perfect. Exactly what we asked for," said TC member Jerry Ryan, who serves as liaison to the Recreation Advisory Committee. "Let's close it once and get it done." 

A second phase of the plan, which would involve adding an irrigation system and curbing and pathways around the park, is optional and could be done the following year if funds are available. 

The DPW already has $10,000 allocated in its budget for the project, said Burbank.

“This is exactly what our reserve fund is for,” said Brian Callahan, chairman of the OSTF advisory committee. He continued, “This is one of the most used parks that I can see. It’s such a vibrant area, and it definitely needs the attention sooner rather than later.”