UPDATED: Developer Sues Township Over DeHart Field

Andy-Matt claims it was unfairly passed over for rehab project.

A developer claiming it was rejected unfairly for a rehab project at DeHart Field has sued the township, seeking to overturn the contract award and halt any work from beginning. Attorneys representing developer Andy-Matt filed suit in Essex County Superior Court Tuesday, saying the town council acted improperly when it awarded the contract to another firm. Andy-Matt, the original low bidder for work on the DeHart Field renovations, was passed over for the contract when Maplewood officials determined the developer was not qualified for the job under the terms the Township had set out. The contract was awarded to Turco Golf, the second lowest bidder, who the Township determined had adequate applicable experience for the job. In the suit, …

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Turco Golf Awarded DeHart Contract

Work on the field may start as soon as August.

Work on the $1.27 million rehabilitation of DeHart Park field may kick off as soon as August now that the Maplewood Township Committee has awarded the work contract to Turco Golf, ending ongoing disputes about qualifications. Tuesday’s unanimous vote to award the contract came following a review of Suffern, NY-based Turco Golf’s work experience sparked off by a rival bidder, Andy-Matt, which was the lowest bidder on the project. Last month, Clough Harbour Associates, the Township’s consulting engineers, recommended that Andy-Matt’s bid be rejected for not satisfying requirements which included showing documentation of 10 similar projects over the past decade. Andy-Matt was only able to show nine, but argued that they should still be …

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Republicans Call for Repeal of Open Space Trust

Republicans protest DeHart Park funding and more

In a statement released over the weekend, Maplewood’s Republican club called for the repeal of the Open Space Trust, saying the fund is not being used for its intended purpose, but instead as additional funding for the recreation department. Also, they are accusing the Township Committee of using the money in the fund to pay for projects voters oppose, particularly the DeHart Park rehabilitations. The release calls for “a referendum to repeal The Municipal Open Space Trust Fund” and asks the Township Committee “to reconsider its decision to go ahead with renovations of DeHart Park which were rejected last November by voters in a non-binding resolution.” The referendum, the GOP say in the release, was passed by Maplewood voters as an anti-…

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DeHart Park Judged Clean

Park now eligible for Green Acres Grant Funding; some reservations remain.

The soil at DeHart Park does not contain lead or other toxins, an engineering report commissioned by the Township found. The survey results show that the park, a former site of a farm with a greenhouse that has been a park for decades, is safe. Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca said the news did not come as a surprise. “It was never a concern,” De Luca said. “We’ve never had an instance where we were worried about the ground in the park.” The soil test, performed by the environmental surveying team at Matrix New World Engineering, Inc., was requested by the state’s Department of Environmental Protection after Maplewood applied for state “Green Acre” funds for refurbishment of the park. “As part of [the DEP’s] due diligence, they looked at maps …

DeHart Park Rehab Scaled Back

Three minor details are shaved off the $2 million-plus park refurbishment

Some minor plans for the DeHart field rehabilitation have been dropped, bringing the cost of the project down by over $70,000. The cancelled aspects of the project, which would have been part of the first phase of the work, are a portable pitcher’s mound, a decorative wall and a park sign. At their April 7 meeting, the Township Committee adopted a bond ordinance allowing the township to borrow about $1.9 million for extensive improvements to the park, including refurbishing the playing fields and walkways. Deputy Mayor Fred Profeta cast the sole dissenting vote. The Township currently has $270,000 in place for the project. Township officials said at the April 7 meeting that they believed they could rehab the park without having to go to …

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