PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
The Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bergenfield will hold a Public Meeting on Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 8:00 P.M. A hearing on a Green Acres Urban Parks Grant Application will take place during said meeting. The meeting will take place in the Borough Hall Council Chambers located at 198 N. Washington Avenue, Bergenfield, NJ 07621.
The purpose of the hearing is to obtain public comment on a grant application to be submitted by the Borough of Bergenfield to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Urban Parks Program. This application entails improving the use of the active recreation-centric park owned by the Borough of Bergenfield. Proposed improvements include additions of synthetic turf fields and lighting to allow for prolonged, safe play in an area that can currently not facilitate this. Due to the increase in soccer as a recreational activity, the current volume of soccer fields is limited. While Vivyen Field currently provides dual softball and baseball outlets, and includes enough space for two full-sized soccer fields, it is not lined nor layed out to facilitate this amount of play simultaneously. Similarly, the fields are insufficient for use following rainstorm events; the fields do not drain effectively and thus restrict play for days following most rainstorm events.
The proposal’s inclusion of two full sized soccer fields (one exclusive to soccer, the other a multi-purpose field whose primary use will be soccer), and to maintain the parameters of current baseball/softball dual-use fields meets the objective to increase recreation field capacity of the Borough. Further, the proposal’s inclusion of additional sport lighting will also meet an objective to increase the amount of hours that individuals and teams/groups can utilize this field each day. While it is not the intent of the Borough that this project be completed in phases, the Borough is willing to phase the project should it be in the financial interest of Green Acres (i.e. that the full request cannot be granted at this time). If this is necessary, the Borough will likely defer the lighting improvements until a future round of funding becomes available
The Borough Administrator will make a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer period. Copies of the application are also available in the Borough Administrator’s office at the Borough Hall, third floor, Room 3. All residents are encouraged to attend and participate.