Politics & Government

Eatontown Officials to Discuss Possibility of Connecting Wampum and Wolcott Parks

The connection would be made at Lewis Street using a vacant lot.

By Christopher Sheldon

The Eatontown Council is going to explore to possibility of creating a connection between Wampum Park and Wolcott Park.

Councilwoman Janice Kroposky said the two parks could be connected by a walking path through property that contains a demolished home on Lewis Street.

"It's my understanding that the Wampum Park long-term plan calls for a foot path around the entire lake and it is also a goal of the town to provide a walking path to connect Wampum to Wolcott Park," Kroposky said. "It seems as though 104 Lewis Street is right across the street from borough-owned property which would allow the two parks to be joined together via a foot path."

Kroposky said it would be beneficial for the borough to join the two parks together.

"Think it would be an opportunity in terms of parks and recreation to join two community resources together," Kroposky said. 

Kroposky said borough may be able to acquire the property through an open space grant that has a Sept. 18 application deadline.

Borough Attorney Gene Anthony said the procedure in any property acquistion is to have it appraised and look at any liens on the property. Anthony said there are several tax certificate liens on 104 Lewis Street.

He said there may be other ways to acquire the property other than applying for the grant and said he could discuss them with the council in executive session.

Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said he liked the concept of the walkway connection between the parks.

"I think the walkway is a feature that we may want to consider and the opportunity presents itself to fulfill the feature that we've always wanted to," Tarantolo said.

Councilman Anthony Talerico said he was in favor of continuing the walking path around the lake at Wampum Park but would not be in favor of adding the walking path on Lewis Street because it would be between two homes.

"I wouldn't want my house to be next to a public entrance there," Talerico said. "It seems like we would be adding another venue that might disturb those residences there."

Talerico said he thinks the borough should let Lewis Street residents know the council is conceptually discussing the possibility of adding the connection between the parks.

The council agreed to continue discussing the concept at its first meeting in August.


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