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Linden holds public hearings for three Green Acres grant applications for parks
Summary
The city presented three Green Acres grant proposals — turf conversion at Dorothy Ford Park, an ADA‑compliant playground at George L. Malkowski Park under Jake’s Law, and dredging/aeration at Wilson Park Pond — and closed the public hearings after no speakers signed up.
The Linden City Council held public hearings on Jan. 14 for three Green Acres grant applications that would fund improvements to local parks: turf installation at Dorothy Ford Park, an inclusive playground at George L. Malkowski Park under the Jake’s Law program, and dredging and aeration at Wilson Park Pond.
Keith Preci, Linden’s director of recreation, described each project and the intended scope. The Dorothy Ford Park proposal would install artificial turf to create a multipurpose practice field to increase year‑round use for football, baseball and softball. Preci said the turf would permit broader recreational programming and more intensive field use.
The George L. Malkowski Park project, presented under the Jake’s Law accessibility grant, would replace play surfaces with a rubberized accessible surface, add shade structures and fencing, and ensure adjacent facilities such as restrooms and comfort stations meet ADA access needs. A presenter said the grant requires fully inclusive equipment and an accessible adjacent facility.
For Wilson Park Pond, Preci described a stewardship grant proposal to dredge the pond, improve aeration, stabilize embankments with plantings, and repair or firm fishing docks to support recreation and fisheries programming.
No members of the public signed up to speak during any of the three hearings; council members moved to close each hearing and the motions passed by roll call. The council did not adopt or reject the grant applications at the meeting; the hearings were part of the grant application process and no formal funding decisions were recorded on the transcript.
If funded, the recreation director said the projects would aim to expand recreation opportunities, improve accessibility, and address pond health. The presentations included references to posted project packets and city web resources for more information.
The council’s recorded votes show motions to close each hearing were approved by the members present.
