Passaic County recommends roughly $3.7 million in open-space and preservation grants; Ringwood projects included

Passaic County officials presented recommended awards from the countyopen-space, farmland and historic-preservation trust fund, listing park-development and preservation projects across municipalities and saying the total slate of recommendations was "a little over $3,700,000." County staff outlined the application review process and said an interactive map of previous awards will be published on the county website.

Open-space coordinator Salvatore Presti summarized recommended park-development awards by municipality: Bloomingdale ($125,000) for fitness-course equipment; Clifton ($250,000) for pathways and a gazebo and an additional $100,000 for a music-playground installation; Haledon ($200,000) for a splash pad; Little Falls ($250,000) to continue a multi-phase park project; Pompton Lakes ($229,000) for a playground; Prospect Park ($250,000) for restroom and shower facilities adjacent to a splash pad; Ringwood ($250,000) for lighting and related elements at a proposed turf-field complex; Ringwood Little League ($25,000) for a new batting cage; Wayne ($250,000) for rehabilitation of outdoor athletic courts; and Woodland Park ($200,000) for ADA accessibility improvements.

Kelly Bridal, director of culture and historic affairs, presented historic-preservation recommendations including an American Labor Museum wheelchair lift ($34,000); Bloomingdale Museum renovation ($100,000); Paterson Eastside Park fitness equipment ($100,000); Van Houten House stabilization in Paterson ($250,000); Rosen Mill public-access steps ($43,000); Wallisch Homestead repointing (two projects totaling about $67,001.50); and Hobart Manor parlor restoration ($37,000).

Presti explained the application cycle: interested municipalities and qualified nonprofits submit a letter of intent, follow with a full application, the county staff and an advisory committee review submissions, and then the recommendations are presented to the Board. He said notices are published on the county website, calendar and by direct letters; the general call for letters of intent typically runs in January. Presti said staff will circulate the awards map to commissioners' offices and publish it online.

The presentation included the Ringwood entries as both a $250,000 recommendation for field lighting and a separate $25,000 recommendation to Ringwood Little League for a batting-cage replacement. Commissioner Bartlett and staff welcomed Ringwood as a new participant in the program.

The board did not take a final vote on these recommendations at the meeting; staff said materials and an interactive map will be provided to commissioners and published online.