Update: Sledding Hill Awaits First Freeze

The hill is shaped for sledding, the sod has been laid and the fence is erected. Now, Memorial Hill at is just waiting its biggest challenge yet—winter’s first real freeze.

With the amount of Cinnaminson’s seen since the hill took shape, and the recent mild December days, the grass is squishy, said Deputy Mayor Don Brauckmann, who serves as the director of parks and recreation.

“The water is great to help the sod take,” he said, “but it hasn’t been cold enough to freeze. We want to make sure the ground is frozen.”

So far, so good. There hasn’t been any snow in the forecast so there’s still time for the freezing to occur. If it happened to snow soon, there would be mud, but Brauckmann said he and township officials are not worried about it. Once the temperatures drop and the sod hardens up, the hill will be open for sledding.

“We’re doing it as safely as we can,” Brauckmann said.

Safety also comes into play with the newly installed fence. A fence lines the top of the hill around its back and sides and also separates the walking and sledding areas. That’s something unique to the hill; walking and sledding are separated from one another.

“There’s a single fence right along that too so you can’t hit the people who are walking,” Brauckmann said.

Hay bales will also be put along the fence for extra padding for wayward sleds.

At a November committee meeting, Township Administrator Gerry Seneski reported the total price of the hill is $43,337. Brauckmann said estimates for the fence were approximately $5,000. 

The cost is capital funded with monies from the parks and recreation budget—a pot of money that can only be used for parks projects. There is no extra insurance cost, according to the township’s liability insurance broker.

The Memorial Hill project made the cover of New Jersey Municipalities’ December issue. That magazine highlights municipality projects around the state and is delivered to municipal officials.

The hill is unofficially open now. Just this week, runners could be seen using the hill for exercise. But, it hasn’t yet been cleared for sledding. That announcement will come once the ground is hard and snowfall comes.

“Hopefully, we’ll have a good, cold winter,” Brauckmann said.