Field Consistent With Master Plan, Board Says

The planning board agreed Tuesday that a proposed , a joint project between the municipality and school district, is consistent with the township’s master plan.

That decision, made after only a few minutes of discussion, is the last legal formality for the field that will be constructed behind Basilone Field. The $1 million project will be built without taxpayer money, thanks to open space funds and donations.

The project is a “milestone” for Bridgewater, Mayor Daniel Hayes said at the meeting, adding that the project is “an example of where we can work together.”

The school district donated the land for the field, and the township will oversee the construction.

"The new field enhances the vision of Bridgewater as a community that is the envy of others,” Hayes said, adding that it is to the betterment of the township’s quality of life.

Planning Board Chairwoman Joanne Kane noted that the project has taken more than two years to get to this point.

Use of the field will be scheduled by the municipal recreation department and the high school’s athletic director, said township engineer Robert Bogart. Hours already have been allocated for both school and municipal use, he said.