Edison plans new $5.4M soccer complex on former softball site
EDISON - The township is looking to replace the five softball fields at Angels Field at the intersection of Truman Avenue and Clif Prescod Lane with three new soccer fields.
Funding for the $5.4 million project is being sought by the township from the New Jersey Green Acres Park Development Program.
Plans call for the township to remove the softball fields and construct three new soccer fields to address the need for more playing fields, expand parking along Clif Prescod Lane and the entrance to the west of the site and create a new parking lot in the southeastern part of site.
The work is expected to include excavation, $3 million in sod, stormwater control, lighting, irrigation, a retaining wall, as well as paving and concrete sidewalks.
A public hearing on the project is scheduled for Jan. 24 at the Edison Municipal Building.
The Angels Field property was formerly owned by the U.S. Army and was the home of Camp Kilmer. In the 1970s part of the Camp Kilmer property was ceded to Edison Township as part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), including the Angels Field site.
The Edison Angels Girls Fastpitch Softball League, known as the Edison Angels, were given permission to use the field for recreational softball and over 20 years, the league expanded from one open field to five fenced fields with dugouts.
The Edison Angels have since closed down and no longer use the field which is why the township is now looking to convert the softball fields into soccer fields.
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The project, which requires two state permits, is expected to be completed in a single phase, but no timeline has been determined for the project.
The site is mostly flat covered with grass. Located in a light industrial zone, the property is near an industrial neighborhood, solar farm, another recreational field, public works yard, New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission office and inspection station, United States Postal Service building, an apartment complex and an abandoned warehouse.
The project is expected to include the removal of some grass and possibly trees. The township plans to plant three trees for every tree removed.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Edison $5.4M recreational project calls for three new soccer fields
