Parks & Rec Group to Focus on Field Usage, Hockey Rink This Year
The advisory committee meets once a month to discuss park and recreation initiatives.
Field usage is a top priority for the parks and recreation department this year as the group reforms under the direction of Committeeman Don Brauckmann.
And Brauckmann, the director of parks and recreation, said that is a “massive undertaking.”
“We really want to think of a coordinated approach for field usage,” Brauckmann said “It’s costs a lot of money to light our fields.”
With that in mind, Brauckmann and the parks and recreation members have invited all Cinnaminson sports commissioners to their February meeting to “put our heads together and think how can we do this.”
Brauckmann said he hopes the group can come up with a master schedule to maximize field usage at Wood and Memorial parks.
“Hopefully we can come up with ideas,” he said.
The group will also look at the township master plan and this year, focus on East Riverton and Ravenswood parks. In the past few years, improvements have been made to the township’s other parks, namely Wood, Memorial and Fountain Farms.
Brauckmann said they want to talk about “what we can do with those two parks and can we afford to do?”
Advertising and promoting concerts, recreational activities and more is also on this year’s agenda.
“We’re going to try and market our events better this year,” Brauckmann said, although he admitted attendance has been up for summer concerts.
Finally, the group wants to evaluate the state of the hockey rink.
“The interest in the hockey rink has been hot and cold,” Brauckmann said.
Every so often, a group expresses interest in helping to save it or use it, but nothing really comes of it, the committeeman said.
More people were using it at the end of last year though, Brauckmann said, but township committee doesn’t want to put money into something that won’t be used frequently.
“If leagues want to use it,” Brauckmann said, “we’ll have to invest money in there and make it safe enough for recreational use.”
There could be added use for the rink if Brauckmann moves forward with discussions to bring in fitness businesses that want to hold outdoor exercise activity in the township parks.
This year, “we’re really trying to evaluate if there’s interest in groups using it before we put money into it.”
The parks and recreation meetings are open to the public. The group meets the first Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the small conference room of the Cinnaminson Township Municipal Building.
The parks and recreation group is an ad hoc advisory committee. There have no jurisdiction and members report to the township committee to offer ideas and suggestions.
What would you like to see done to the township parks? Leave your comments below and if we get enough interest in a few topics, we'll do an interview with Don Brauckmann similar to the interview with Mayor Ben Young.
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In This article
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Wood Park
Pomona Rd & Riverton Rd, Cinnaminson, NJ -
Memorial Park
Lenola Rd & N Fork Landing Rd, Cinnaminson, NJ -
East Riverton Park
Rowland St & S Snowden Ave, Cinnaminson, NJ -
Ravenswood Park
Chestnut Hill Drive, Cinnaminson, NJ -
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Fountain Farms Park
Willow Drive, Cinnaminson, NJ
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Cinnaminson Township
1621 Riverton Rd, Cinnaminson, NJ -
Deborah Hilton
9:50 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
While there has been nice improvements in some of the parks, I feel there are two things that still could use some attention. Considering the number of people participating in & attending games at the back fields of Memorial Park, the number of & location of Porta-Pots are not sufficient, nor convenient. A major complaint heard often is the fact that the distance to the back fields is so great that it's difficult (if not impossible) for senior citizens and/or disabled people to attend games. Would it be feasible to invest in 1 or 2 more golf cart-style vehicles (such as the snack carts) to be available to transport those requiring assistance?
John
12:56 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
WOW, we cannot even give a tax break for the senior citizens and U want them to buy golf carts so they can see a game.....who designed the fields that way, not to smart but thats the way it is here, like the flooding its just happens....we can use the baseball fields for soccer and other sports just put out CONES like U do for the flooding....
Bridget
9:50 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
I would like football to get a real field with lights and parking for practice. There is a pole with a light that has been down since Sandy at Fountain Farms in the back.
Observer
9:50 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Discussions on maximizing field usage is a great idea. There are so many underutilized baseball/softball fields in our parks, that they should repurpose those fields for other sports or activities. There are 14, yes FOURTEEN, baseball/softball fields in Wood and Memorial Park. There is no way we need that many fields to support baseball in this town. Some of that space should be given, to Lacrosse, Football, Soccer, Field Hockey. Basball can keep 10 of the fields, which should be more than enough.
Catherine Hannan
9:50 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
The committee needs to keep a better eye on the lights at Memorial Park. There are many, many nights when there is no one using the fields and the lights are on. The only purpose they are serving on those nights is lighting my backyard!
lori weldon
11:24 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Ditto on this . I have complained to the township too about this problem. The lights are on many many nights and it is 2 am. Nothing has been done about it at all. As you see above this is stated “We really want to think of a coordinated approach for field usage,” Brauckmann said “It’s costs a lot of money to light our fields.” So .. please maintain the lights at Memorial Park correctly. If we see them on again .. who is it that we should call at night to help save our township residents this cost ??? The only contact I know at this time is the police. I really hate bothering them about going to go shut off lights at Memorial park 3x's a week. Thank you
lori weldon
11:24 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
ps If I can be authorized I would go shut the lights off at memorial park myself when it needs to be done or forgotten.
Mike S
9:50 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
An outside adult gym at wood park would be great. see the attached video.
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/48113544/#48113544
Maureen
11:34 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thank you for all of your hard work revitalizing the parks. My family and I frequent the parks a lot for the playgrounds and the many activites provided by the town. Just some ideas that we have found at other parks to think about...how about a sprayground? or small outdoor ampitheater like Haddon Lake Park.
Gregory Downs
11:40 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
This township has put a lot of money into their tennis courts which is fine but there can only be a maximum four people playing at one time if they are playing doubles. I walk around Memorial Park often and just about every time I did there were aleast six to eight kids playing hockey. I've been in the construction field all my life and it wouldn't take a whole lot of money to freshin it up. You don't need to resurface the rink just fill the cracks fix some of the plywood, fix the players bench and some paint will go along long way. Someone spent alot of money building the rink and it would be ashame to see it go to waste and take away another sport for the kids to play and to stay out of trouble. If you want to propose some outdoor exercise activity, why can't the hockey rink be used for that also. When I was a kid in this town we played hockey anywhere we could which included being in the street or on the tennis courts. We would have loved to be able to play in a rink like that even if it had some issues.
dajoepa75
2:08 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Feel the same way about the rink. There was alot of money received in rec and park grants and it would not take much to level the surface and put in plywood. I'm sure if the township asked you could get volunteers to do some of the work. Since there are no longer leagues, the scoreboard doesn't have to be fixed. But there are always young guys down at the rink playing pickup games. Been asking the same question for almost two years now. Roller or street hockey; the rink's there. Use it.
kas
1:57 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
I agree! My kids have enjoyed playing in the rink for years. Roller skating and playing hockey. My older one still plays, but has to go out of town to play roller hockey in a league. Would be great if we could bring roller hockey back to Cinnaminson.
John
1:57 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
@dajoepa75, maybe some day we (township) will get its act together...As of right now all focus is on abandoned structures, gas stations etc....Now that Barons is gone what are they going to do with the blacktop thats there....Can hardly wait for a response to that one....The next to go is at willow and 130, people seem to want a Mexican food place for that one....can hardly wait for that to happen....hope U get what U want....good luck
Maynard
12:42 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2013
If it costs us so much money to light our fields why doesn't some look at the "LONG TERM" and maybe install some solar panels to offset the cost.
Kevin
12:54 pm on Thursday, January 31, 2013
We need better football facilities what we have now is 5 teams squeezing onto one little field with poor lighting
Ed and Michelle Coyle
1:57 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Just curious but what happened to fields that were being developed off of Forklanding and Rt 73? I guess there is a reason why work stopped on this project.
Tom Edison
1:57 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
The lights cost lots of money? Oh yeah, how much exactly? Did you forget they are our lights and we want them on so our kids can play. We pay enough in taxes for other things. Dont take our services away
Pundit
3:29 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
How about finding a way to limit our parks just to the residents of Cinnaminson? Why are we providing sports facilities to kids/thugs from neighboring towns? We need to issue passes to use the parks to residents; those from other towns should be prohibited or at least charged a fee.
Citizen
1:57 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Love the adult playground idea.
dajoepa75
4:46 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Pundit, you're so right. Instead of passes how about permanent tattoos on each residents' hand so no outsiders will be allowed to walk In our parks. Mt laurel should do same so no more walks at laurel acres, no more walks at Riverton park. We can all be kept In our own Towns where we belong. Who's going to check the pass or tattoos. Hire another township employee...
lori weldon
11:24 am on Tuesday, February 5, 2013
sorry .. lol.. tattoos . too funny . Pundit I think we should just all have to stay on our own property and never leave it.
Bill O'Connor
5:58 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Pundit, Township parks have been maintained with Green Acre grants since the program came into existence. Therefore, you can't restrict to Cinnaminson residents only. If you are interested, there is a NJ State Green Acres website that outlines what you can and can't do under Green Acres.
Pundit
6:21 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
You are not exactly correct. A nominal fee with a ID tag logged in a computer could be designed and administered in a way which would discourage outsiders from coming in and trashing our parks.
"Local government unit resident or non-resident.
However, the fee charged to a non-resident who lives in
the State shall not be greater than two times the fee
charged to a local government unit resident;"
Dan
6:04 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Sure would like a coffee stand near the sledding hill........just sayin'. I love the park!!!
Flyers 1
10:25 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013
"Brauckmann said, "but township committee doesn’t want to put money into something that won’t be used frequently" but let's spend over $100,000 on a sledding hill that hasn't been used in three years! Fix the hockey rink!!! just because your kids don't play hockey!! What happened to my last comment?
Christina Paciolla
10:28 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013
Flyers 1—
Your previous comment was not approved because you used a four-letter word. Read our terms of service below. I assumed you were aware of the oversight since you left it out when leaving this comment.
And just for reference, Memorial Hill has only been open for just a year.
Christina
dajoepa75
12:44 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
You'd be surprised who plays hockey in that rink; which is baffling why those who have the authority to do so wouldn't make the improvements to make the rink safe for use in pick up games. I'll volunteer to help with the improvements even though I'm only a little handy with power tools. And, I'm sure, except for the resurfacing of the rink floor, others would step up and help volunteer.
Flyers 1
5:33 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
Aww geez it was only hello sans the O. Hill is a 4 letter word too ya know :-)
Shaquille Ofeel
10:25 am on Saturday, February 2, 2013
What do you mean? You silly willys' don't enjoy the prison yard that Wood Park has turned into?