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Little Falls council authorizes submission of Green Acres grant application for Amity Park playground
Summary
On Feb. 3, 2025, the Little Falls Township Council approved a resolution to submit a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres grant application to fund playground upgrades and court resurfacing at Amity Park after a public hearing where a resident voiced support.
The Township Council of Little Falls voted Feb. 3, 2025, to authorize submission of a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres grant application to fund improvements at Amity Park, including playground upgrades and resurfacing of basketball courts.
At an opening public hearing, Nancy Friedrich, who identified herself as a member of the open space committee and an Amity neighborhood resident, said she has walked in the park for more than 20 years and that "the basketball court especially there's almost always people" using the facilities. Councilwoman Habetz told the council the plan’s first phase will upgrade the playground and later convert the former tennis courts into an all-purpose surface that can accommodate soccer, volleyball and other activities.
Mayor James Bord Damiano explained the application timeline and financial terms: the application is due soon, awards typically take three to nine months, and Green Acres grants often cover up to 75% of total project costs, leaving the municipality responsible for the remainder. "While we are now the first week of February in 2025 applying for this grant, it is highly highly unlikely that ground will be broken on this grant until well into the 2026 calendar year," the mayor said, summarizing the post-award design, bidding and contracting process.
Council members moved and seconded the resolution to submit the Green Acres application; the clerk called the roll and the motion carried. The council also approved an application for Jake Bassinger in a separate vote during the same meeting. The mayor and staff said any local match requirement could be met from the township's open-space funds or other grant sources to minimize direct impact on taxpayers.
Next steps: the township will submit the Green Acres application and await the state’s decision, which officials said could take several months; if awarded, the project would proceed through design and public bidding before construction begins.
