(Camden, NJ) – The Freeholder Board has approved the recommendations of the Open Space Preservation Trust Fund Advisory Committee to award the 2016 Recreation Facility Enhancement Project Grants. The grants, totaling $750,000 this year, are funded through the Camden County Open Space Preservation Trust Fund, are presented to existing publicly owned recreation facilities planning to expand their utilization for recreational purposes.
“These grants are an opportunity to build and enhance our parks and playgrounds throughout the county. We know these passive and active recreational offerings make Camden County a special place to live and improve our overall quality of life,” said Freeholder Jeffery L. Nash, liaison to the Open Space Preservation Trust Fund Advisory Committee. “This year’s applications represented a wide range of projects throughout the county. We appreciate the hard work and planning that went into each request.”
Each year, municipal organizations are invited to submit an application detailing the enhancements planned for their existing recreation facilities for consideration by the advisory committee. The requests for funding are limited to $25,000 per project, per year. The projects must be completed within a one year period. The Camden County Open Space Preservation Trust Fund was created by the Freeholder Board in 1999 in response to overwhelming voter support of an open space referendum placed on the ballot in November 1998.
“We know that our community thrives and quality of life flourishes when we expand and enhance our parkland and recreational opportunities,” Nash said. “These are the things that make Camden County a great place to live, work and raise a family in and I’m looking forward to seeing many of these projects come to fruition for the respective towns.”
2016 Grant Recipients
Audubon
Mansion Avenue School playground $25,000
Bellmawr
Recreation enhancement waterfront access project $25,000
Berlin Borough
Berlin Soccer Club – Franklin Ave. Fields $25,000
Berlin Township
Robert Clyde Memorial Park – Large Hockey Rink $25,000
Brooklawn
Multi-use path at Waterfront Park $25,000
Camden
Neighborhood Center, Inc. – baseball field renovation $25,000
Cherry Hill Township
Ashland Playground $25,000
Columbia Lake Park $25,000
Croft Farm-wildlife observation deck $25,000
DeCou Playground $25,000
Chesilhurst
Leanna Harris Park $25,000
Clementon
Community parks enhancements $25,000
Gibbsboro
Gibbsboro Bikeway – Blueberry Hill to US Ave extension $25,000
Amenities for the Gibbsboro Bikeway System $25,000
Gloucester City
Walnut Ave., Paul St. and Thompson Ave. playgrounds $25,000
Gloucester Township
Electronic bicycle kiosk $25,000
Haddon Township
New Jersey Avenue Playground improvements $25,000
Haddon Heights
Soccer Association – McCullough Athletic Complex $25,000
Heights Baseball Booster Club – Cervino Field $25,000
Magnolia
Albertson Park $25,000
Merchantville
Chestnut Ave. multi-purpose path $25,000
Pennsauken Township
Meadowbrook Park $25,000
Somerdale
Somerdale Baseball & Softball Assoc. – indoor practice facility $25,000
Somerdale Youth Basketball League – Perry Complex $25,000
Stratford
Vasser Avenue Sports Complex $25,000
Yellin Recreational Complex-Phase III $25,000
Voorhees Township
Kirkwood Park, Lake Villa, and Sandpiper playgrounds $25,000
Lake Villa playground $25,000
Lion’s Villa playground $25,000
Waterford Township
Thomas Richards Park $25,000
(Source: Camden County Freeholders Press Release)