To build new or fix up is the question for park Council mulls options for local park building used for summer camp BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer OLD BRIDGE - The fate of a building used for summer camp programs at Veterans Park is being decided as officials debate whether refurbishment or rebuilding is the better option. At a meeting Monday, Township Council members discussed which option would prove more cost-effective and which would better serve the residents. Township Business Administrator Michael Jacobs opened the discussion by proposing a change order to the original budget for rehabilitating the building. The budget allocated last November was $212,000. With the change, the estimated rehabilitation costs would grow to an estimated $289,000, though Jacobs suggested $350,000 in order to cover any extra costs that arise in the process. "I think that if the council is satisfied with the size of the building, this is the cheapest way to go about it," Jacobs said. Work on the building began in late September. The change order became necessary when the contractor, G&M Eastern Contracting Inc., found structural problems in the building that were previously unknown. When workers started stripping down the walls, they discovered deterioration at the bottom of the walls. They also saw that the rafters were undersized. "My concern is the extensive work that is being done to refurbish the old building," Councilman G. Kevin Calogera said. "I have concerns as to what else we might find to add to the costs ... I'd like to weigh it out before we spend the taxpayers' money." A new building would probably wind up costing close to $500,000, between the cost of demolishing the old building, design work and the building itself, according to Jacobs' estimate. He agreed to obtain estimates for what the actual cost would be, so that council members can weigh the two options in terms of dollar amounts. One architect submitted an estimate of between $165 and $185 per square foot, bringing the cost of a new 2,700-square-foot building to a minimum of almost $450,000. Another presented an estimate of $390,000 to $455,000 for a 2,600-square-foot concrete block building with a wood truss roof or a wood frame building on a raised block wall with wood truss roof. "I would prefer to see a new building there, because it is a heavily used facility," Councilman Edward Testino said. "I'm not confident that the rehab is the best bang for the dollar. I think we could get a state-of-the-art facility for the amount Mike [Jacobs] is talking about." Jacobs said the building, if refurbished, will be like new. The other benefit of rehabilitation, he said, is that the building would almost definitely be ready for children's camp programs next summer. "You don't want to spend that kind of money to build a new building, but when you think about it, you don't want to be penny wise and pound foolish," Councilwoman Lucille Panos said. Panos, who represents Ward 6, where the Englishtown Road park is located, shared Jacobs' concern about the building's readiness for the approximately 200 children who enroll in summer programs, but she voiced concern about the size of the building. With the growth of the town, a larger facility might become necessary, Panos said, adding that it would be wise to examine the increase in past enrollment numbers and consult with schools to find out their projections for the next five to 10 years of enrollment. Mayor Jim Phillips, a proponent of the renovations, said there are contingency plans in place if the building is not ready by summer, such as using school facilities or renting trailers to use temporarily. In terms of enrollment growth in the programs, Phillips said it is best not to hold more than one program at any one location. Other locations, like Peter A. Mannino Park, Route 516, which town officials broke ground on in August, or John A. Phillips Park, dedicated Sept. 30 off Maple Street, are available for use, he said. "We're trying to upgrade all of our parks, and certainly Veterans Park is long overdue for renovation," Phillips said. Panos said she is meeting Monday afternoon with Lisa Cooney and Tom Badcock of the township's Parks and Recreation Department to assess the situation. She said she expects a decision to be made at Monday night's council meeting.