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Board postpones Chase Road Park change order after residents and volunteers press for transparency, stormwater and budget details
Summary
A proposed change order to add two tennis courts at Chase Road Park and relocate a basketball court (estimated additional cost $137,000) was postponed to the next meeting after extended public comment raising concerns about project cost growth, stormwater management and public notice.
Township staff brought change order #1 on June 15 to add two tennis courts (convert a basketball court) and build a relocated basketball court adjacent to the pavilion, estimating the incremental cost at about $137,000. Staff said some savings are possible from existing court substrates, and the change order was presented as a lower-cost alternative than reconfiguring the original plan.
Residents and long-time volunteers pushed back. Ray Clark, a former co-chair of the township stormwater task force, criticized process and timing: "My jaw was literally hanging open when I heard this discussion," he said, describing the project materials as added to the packet shortly before the meeting and urging greater public scrutiny on stormwater management and procurement. Resident Roland Johnson pressed for pre-construction soil testing and itemized cost breakdowns, saying, "We're spending $2.3 million" on Wilson Farm Park renovations and asking for a better accounting of where taxpayer funds are going.
Staff and engineers responded that portions of the project (for example, removal of a clay tennis surface and reuse of underlying asphalt) could produce savings and that stormwater work had been reviewed by township consultants; they also noted sites had been discussed with parks and finance committees and that some items were planned or previously presented. Several supervisors and members of the parks board said they support phasing but acknowledged public concerns.
Because of the depth of public comment and several unresolved questions about scope, funding and stormwater controls, the board voted to postpone consideration of the change order to the next supervisors meeting so staff can provide additional documentation, line-item cost breakdowns and procurement/contracting details. The postponement motion passed following a motion to withdraw the earlier approval motion and then to postpone the item.
