As Brick Celebrates Park Award, Township Plans Other Renovations

With warmer weather peeking around the edges of what has been a long winter, it won’t be long before Brick Township’s parks will be back in use full time.

That includes the playground at Windward Beach Park, for which the township received an award over the winter.

The park received the 2014-15 Excellence in Design Award from the state Recreation and Parks Association for the playground installed last year.

That playground replaced one from the 1990s that had been removed due to safety concerns.

It has an area geared toward preschool children and a second for those 5 to 12 years old, with slides, climbers, interactive sound panels and more. The cost of the project, including equipment, installation, landscaping, curbing and sidewalk, draining and site amenities was $533,912.52, township officials said in a news release announcing the award. The installation was done by TC Landscaping Construction of Toms River. The equipment was purchased from Marturano Recreation of Spring Lake.

It is not the only park that is getting attention, however.

Colorado Park, in the north end of town; Angela Hibbard Park, off Drum Point Road, and Lake Riviera Park all are in the budget plans for this year, township officials have said.

A first round of bids on Colorado Park -- for new equipment, security cameras, lighting improvements, plus basketball courts, a new gazebo, a walking trail, parking and two playgrounds -- was rejected by the council in February and the project was put out for rebidding.

Bids for the renovation of Angela Hibbard Park were authorized by the council on March 17.

“When we cut the ribbon on the new playground at Windward Beach and saw how much fun the young people were having we knew it was special and this award is proof of that,” said Ducey, who accepted the award at the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association Convention in Atlantic City. “We will continue to improve these parks to give our citizens safe, fun parks and playgrounds to enjoy.”