Manchester Site Chosen For New Park In Ocean County

MANCHESTER, NJ — Manchester Township will become home to a county park, Ocean County Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr. announced Monday night.

The park is planned for a site on Route 571 near the intersection with Route 547, encompassing two pieces of land Manchester purchased using Green Acres funds, and some lots county officials will have to purchase.

Manchester is turning the property over to Ocean County for the project, Mayor Ken Palmer said. Because the township was reimbursed for the purchase through the state Green Acres funding, the county is not paying for the property, as it in effect did not cost the township, Palmer said.

The park will include passive recreation on the portion east of Ridgeway Boulevard, which is affected by wetlands, Palmer said. The part to the west of Ridgeway Boulevard will include sports fields.

Bartlett said the county budget includes $6 million for the initial phases of the project, which include the permit process, designing the park and land acquisition.

Bartlett said plans to build a new park have been in the works for a couple of years, but had been somewhat on the shelf while the county restored some of its existing parks, including Berkeley Island County Park in Berkeley, which was badly damaged in Superstorm Sandy.

"That will put a county park within reach of residents throughout the county," Bartlett said.

"It's exciting," Palmer said.

The process of creating the park it in its early stages, Bartlett said, with the permitting process and much more yet to be done.

"This will take a while, but it will be top-notch," Bartlett said.

"It's good to see the initiative to get this in Manchester," Council President Craig Wallis said. "This is a really good thing for Manchester."

Ocean County Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr., Manchester Mayor Ken Palmer and Council President Craig Wallis show off a preliminary rendering of the area where a new county park will be built in Manchester. Photo by Karen Wall