XII. RECREATION PLAN

(Adopted April 1, 2002)

INTRODUCTION

The Municipal Land Use Law provides for a recreation plan element as part of a municipal master plan.

"A recreation plan element showing a comprehensive system of areas and public sites for recreation."

It is the purpose of this plan to generally:

 

• Describe trends in public demand and need for recreation facilities and sites in Mendham Township.
• Inventory existing Township recreation facilities and sites and assess their adequacy or inadequacy.
• Make recommendations for future improvements and additions to Township recreation facilities and sites.

BACKGROUND AND ASSUMPTIONS

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Township underwent a period of sustained growth, increasing pressure on municipal recreational facilities. This pressure, which could affect the size and scale of Township recreational facilities, can be at odds with the increased desire among residents, and the new Township Master Plan’s overriding goal, to preserve the Township’s unique historic/rural character and distinctive sense of place. Presently, the Township is nearing "build-out". A large percentage of the Township has recently been rezoned (2001) reducing the total amount of development that will be permitted. In addition, the Township has an active open space acquisition program in place, which will further reduce future development potential. As a result, future development may not be as important a factor in increasing the need for additional facilities as it has been in the recent past. Following are the major factors affecting recreational facilities and the need for them in Mendham Township.

• Volunteers

  . The Township has traditionally depended on citizen volunteers to provide recreational services for the Township. This has enabled the provision of quality recreational services at lower cost. Quality recreational facilities are necessary in order to maintain a high level of citizen volunteer involvement.

• Inter-municipal services.

  The Township has for many years cooperated with adjacent municipalities in providing various recreation services to residents. This includes Mendham Borough for all sports programs, Harding (basketball), and the Chesters (soccer, lacrosse, basketball). In many cases, this has had the benefit of increased efficiency, but at the cost of increased scale. There are other future options that are potentially appropriate to a regional approach for which interest has been expressed. They include, for example, a par 3 golf course and a community center/indoor gym. More inter-municipal cooperation and/or consolidation in providing these services and facilities are possible and should be actively pursued.

• Growth in population of children.

  The Township has undergone a period of sustained growth that has put more demands on recreational facilities. Other factors contributing to the demand are the popularity of the youth soccer program and a growing preference for organized recreation.

• Higher percentage of working households.

  Households increasingly have both parents working in full time occupations. This has increased the need for organized and supervised sporting activities.

• Increased concern for security.

  Increased development in the Township has created a perception among many parents that organized sporting activities with adult supervision is more necessary than in the past.

• Increased participation of females in active sports.

  Girls and women are increasingly participating in active sports. This has put more pressure on the use of existing facilities.

• Need for improved quality of playing fields.

  While the Recreation Department has added facilities at Mount Pleasant (tennis courts, fields) and new fields in Ralston, significant interest remains for improving the quality of playing fields in the Township in the short-term and providing additional playing fields in years to come.

• Need for improvements to Brookside Beach.

  Interest has also been expressed in making improvements to the facilities at Brookside Beach.

• Preserving the Township’s character and sense of place.

  The new Township Master Plan’s overriding goal is to preserve the Township’s unique historic character and distinctive sense of place. Decisions concerning the location and design of future recreation facilities should generally support this goal.

• Open Space Trust Fund.

  The Mendham Township Trust Fund provides a potential source of funding for future acquisition of land for a variety of recreational purposes. Voters more recently have voted to increase the levy to provide additional funds.

• Playgrounds.

  The recent substantial growth in the number of younger children in Mendham Township has increased the need to upgrade the existing Brookside Beach Playground and for additional playground facilities appropriate for younger children.

ASSESSMENT OF TOWNSHIP

RECREATION FACILITIES AND SITES

The following is an inventory of existing Township recreation sites/facilities, an assessment of their adequacy to meet community needs and, where appropriate, general recommendations for improvement. The location of these facilities is shown on the map entitled Community Facilities, Open Space and Recreation.

The Township’s municipal complex is located in the small historic crossroads village of Brookside. Close by are the post office, community club, community church, and Brookside Beach. These institutions and facilities contribute to Brookside’s role as the center of community life and focus of interaction for local residents and as such they reinforce the Township’s traditional character and unique sense of place. Following are the important recreational facilities located in the Brookside area.

 

Brookside Community Club – East Main Street (Block 139, Lots 1, 3, 9)

The Brookside Community Club is located in the village of Brookside, across the street from the municipal complex, with access from East Main Street. It contributes to the Township’s focal point for community interaction and its traditional sense of place. It is a non-profit, privately funded organization supported by the Township with services. It is housed in an historic clubhouse building of 2,000 sq. ft. that includes meeting room, kitchen and storage and is used for a variety of civic activities. The building originally served as a schoolhouse and church for Brookside. As a result of a new management philosophy, usage has grown dramatically in recent years. The site is large (about 41 acres) and contains two baseball fields, one of which can also serve as a soccer field. The club supports a variety of multi-generation community activities including dances and meeting space for community groups and is open to all Township residents for a nominal fee. It also provides recreational and athletic facilities to all residents.

Brookside Beach – West Main Street (Block 137 Lot 49)

Brookside Beach is located on a 4.4-acre municipal site adjacent to the Township Elementary School. It provides a one-acre pond, beach, snack bar, guard stand, picnic area, playground, and rest room facilities. The Beach serves as a summer gathering place for the Township and neighboring communities, hosting cookouts, swim lessons and swim team, beach oriented recreational activities and ice skating in the winter.

The Ralston complex is located in the small historic crossroads hamlet of Ralston and is a focal point of community life for the western part of the Township. The 48.6-acre site contains two buildings: the Ralston Fire House and the Old Ralston Firehouse often used as a community center. The complex is used for active recreation (ball fields), provides short walking trails, and offers access to an adjacent section of Patriots’ Path that allows horseback riding, bicycling, and hiking.

These municipal activities contribute to Ralston’s traditional role as a focal point for community life and as such reinforces the Township’s traditional character and unique sense of place. These municipal uses are compatible with the single-family residential zone they are located within. A substantial portion of the surrounding area is in a State and National Registered Historic District. Both buildings currently are architecturally and of a scale that is compatible with the residential and historic character of the area. Expansion to facilities in this area should continue this compatibility.

The Ralston complex includes two active recreation sites: Wysong Park and Ralston Park. Wysong Park includes a soccer/Little League baseball area, a soccer practice field that will be a playground site in 2002, and parking for 30-40 cars. Ralston Park, opened in 2001, includes a championship Little League baseball field, two large playing fields for soccer and lacrosse, and parking for 50-70 cars. The two sites are connected by a short trail.

This recreation area is on a 17-acre site that includes the Public Works complex. It provides a small Little League field, two tennis courts and parking for about 30 cars.

The Mendham Township Elementary School and associated recreational facilities are located off of West Main Street on a 14-acre site. The Elementary School-related recreational facilities include a Little League baseball field, an all-purpose field used mainly for soccer, a playground and a gymnasium.

The Mendham Township Middle School and associated recreational facilities are located off of Washington Valley Road on a 22-acre site. The Middle School-related recreational facilities include an all purpose field, a regulation baseball field, a shared softball field/all purpose field used for softball in the spring/summer and soccer in the fall, a gymnasium and an auditorium.

There are nine Township parks open to the public. Six of the parks have blazed trail systems for hiking. They offer some of the most scenic views of Mendham Township including trout streams, wetlands and ponds, farm fields, and steep forested areas. The trail terrain varies from the flat areas of Burnett Brook and Tempe Wick to steep hills and stream crossings at Buttermilk Falls and India Brook. Many of the trails are suitable for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, especially those at Buttermilk Falls Natural Area. Meadowood Park offers family picnicking around the old summer camp fireplace, as well as a scenic trail along Burnett Brook. Trail maps are available at the Township Municipal Building and Library and will be posted at most of the park entrances. There are a total of 54 miles of trails within the Township, and trails are in the planning stage for the remaining three parks. Following are the Township parks and their locations:

Buttermilk Falls Natural Area – Calais Road and Combs Hollow Road India Brook Natural Area – Mountainside Road Dismal Harmony Natural Area – East Main Street Burnett Brook Natural Area – Mendham Road West Meadowood Park – Old Mill Road Cold Hill Reserve – Robert Road Seeing Eye – Ironia Road Tempe Wick Reserve – Tempe Wick Road Ralston Recreation and Natural Area – Mendham Road West

Patriots’ Path was developed by the Morris County Park Commission and extends over 20 miles across Morris County. It follows a six-mile east-west route from Lewis Morris Park near Sunrise Lake on the Mendham/Morris Township border through Mendham Borough to the Ralston Recreation area. Much of the route through the Mendhams follows the right-of way of the Rockaway Valley Railroad, abandoned in 1913, and for the most part is hard-packed gravel on gentle slopes. This trail is open to walking, bicycling, horseback riding and cross-country skiing.

Sections of Morris County’s Lewis Morris Park and the Jockey Hollow area of Morristown National Historic Park lie within Mendham Township. They offer an extensive network of trails, available for walkers and, in some areas of Lewis Morris Park, cyclists and horseback riders. The trails in winter offer opportunities for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Sunrise Lake, in Lewis Morris Park, is open for swimming in the summer and ice-skating when weather permits in the winter.

Schiff Nature Preserve occupies a portion of a former Boy Scouts of America National Training Center. Some 298 acres of woodland and meadow are owned and managed by the Schiff Natural Lands Trust. Many of the former Boy Scout trails remain, providing walks of varying degrees of difficulty.  

RECREATION FACILITIES

RECOMMENDATIONS

The overall conclusion of this plan is that improvement to recreation and to recreational facilities in Mendham Township appears to be justified. Following are recommendations concerning specific recreational needs and facilities in the Township

The Recreation Commission sees both a need and interest in the following types of facilities given the changing community. The Township should consider providing facilities meeting these interests and needs.

 

• Upgrade in current playing fields – in conjunction with the Board of Education and Community Club.

 

• Continue regional planning and cooperation with Mendham Borough and the Chesters, especially for recreational facilities that require extensive infrastructure. Possible future options could include, for example, a par 3 golf course and a community center/indoor gym/swimming pool to meet winter needs.

 

• Playgrounds to meet the needs of a growing population of children.

While the number of playing fields appears to cover the current demands of the community, there is a need for continual maintenance and improvement. Improvement is particularly necessary at the Board of Education facilities at the Elementary and Middle Schools. The Brookside Beach has become a popular summer spot and would benefit by additional landscaping and summer facilities (volleyball, spectator stands for swim meets). In addition, the playground facilities should be upgraded. The Meadowood Park, Seeing Eye and Tempe Wick Reserve locations provide good options for future recreation sites. All should be considered for a variety of recreational activities. Stirling Pond in Burnett Brook Natural Area should be considered for winter ice-skating.  

LANDS RECOMMENDED TO BE RESEVED

FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES

In order to fulfill the goals of this plan element, property may need to be acquired for recreational purposes. The Appendix at the end of this Master Plan contains a list of properties that are recommended for acquisition. They should be reserved in accordance with C.40:55D-44.