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Somerset County seeks Green Acres grants for Skillman Park improvements and Green Knoll pond work
Summary
The county park commission presented plans and cost estimates for Skillman Park improvements and hydro raking at Green Knoll Golf Course and the commissioners authorized Green Acres grant applications covering parts of the costs.
The Somerset County Park Commission on Jan. 14 presented concept plans and environmental summaries for two projects — improvements at Skillman Park in Montgomery Township and hydro raking of a pond at Green Knoll Golf Course in Bridgewater — and the Board of Commissioners authorized filing Green Acres grant applications to help pay for them.
Dan Hayes, director of the Somerset County Park Commission, told commissioners the two projects together have an estimated total cost of about $3.5 million. For the Skillman Park improvement project — which would add a public restroom near the dog park, upgrade the dog-pen containment area and construct an on-site maintenance building — the park commission estimates a total cost of roughly $3.1 million. Under the Green Acres Park Development program the county is seeking a maximum grant of $787,581 (25% of the project) and proposes to fund the remaining 75% from the county open space fund, leaving a net county cost of about $2.4 million.
Hayes described the maintenance building as a new facility on park grounds, and said the full concept plans and a detailed environmental impact statement are posted on the park commission website and available in paper form. The environmental summary presented to commissioners concludes the short-term construction impacts would be outweighed by long-term benefits; mitigation measures include a bioretention basin and plantings to screen structures.
The second project is hydro raking at the pond near Hole No. 6 at Green Knoll Golf Course. Hayes said hydro raking removes organic material that has settled on the pond bottom (not dredging) to improve oxygen levels, reduce eutrophication risk and restore habitat. The county estimates the hydro raking work at $348,000; the Green Acres stewardship grant program can cover up to 50% of eligible costs. The county is seeking $174,000 in stewardship funding with a net project cost of $174,000 to the county. Hayes said dewatered material would be used on-site and that the commission has done similar work at other county ponds.
The board opened and closed the public hearings for the Green Acres Park Development and Green Acres Stewardship programs; two written social-media comments were noted (one advocating dam removal and one asking about golf course changes) along with one unrelated comment about public water. No members of the public spoke in the commissioners’ room on the projects. Hayes said the grant submission deadline is Feb. 1 and provided a takeaway sheet with links and where to send comments.
Commissioners then approved a package of resolutions that include the Green Acres Park Development application and memorandum of understanding (R-25-104 and R-25-105) and the Green Acres Stewardship application and memorandum of understanding (R-25-106 and R-25-107), as well as related local recreation grant items (R-25-108 and R-25-109). The resolutions were adopted by roll call vote as part of a larger slate of resolutions considered that evening.
No construction contracts were awarded at the meeting; Hayes said the current step is filing applications and meeting the Green Acres program requirements for concept plans and the county recreation and open-space inventory.
