News

May 28, 2023

Council Tables Mosle Field Lighting Plan Advancement In Mendham

MENDHAM, NJ — After countless meetings and discussions, the Mendham Township Committee has once again delayed advancing an ordinance that would allow for improved lighting at Mosle Field. The council,

MENDHAM, NJ — After countless meetings and discussions, the Mendham Township Committee has once again delayed advancing an ordinance that would allow for improved lighting at Mosle Field.

The council, which met on July 24, reopened the debate on the contentious Mosle Athletic Field project, which calls for the replacement of existing portable diesel-fueled lights with 90-degree downstream lights, as well as the installation of new lights in the Mosle Recreation Area parking lot.

The fields are currently used by the Twin Boro Bears football and cheerleading program and the Mendham Chester Patriots baseball/softball program, which both serve over 500 youth athletes.

As part of the initial agreement, the Twin Boro Bears agreed to pay for half of the project, leaving the township to cover the remaining costs. During Monday's meeting, the council approved amending an ordinance that would allow the town to enter into a financial split agreement with the sports organization.

The amendments were put in place in order to add recommendations from the planning board for the project along with other stipulations from the township council. One of those included a potential second environmental impact study, which would need to be completed and reviewed before the project advanced.

Despite the fact that the committee approved a resolution to add lights to Mosle Field on May 22, several committee members had stated that they were waiting for the environmental impact study before making final decisions.

Last month, an environmental impact study was conducted, but several residents expressed concerns about its reliability after learning that the study was considered a desktop review, which meant that the team had never set foot on the fields.

The council has now stated that they would consider authorizing a more comprehensive study that would better assess for any environmental impacts. However, there will need to be a final agreement ordinance and a bond ordinance passed before the study can be completed.

Following discussion, the council made the decision to table the bond ordinance until further notice.

The updated version of the Mosle Athletic Field project has been scaled back significantly since the initial proposal and now includes lighting upgrades to the football field and parking lot.

The Committee specifically proposes to install six new 30-foot-tall, downstream, permanent LED light poles around the parking lot to eliminate any safety concerns related to the parking lot's current low-light or dark conditions.

Additionally, four new 60-foot-tall, downstream-facing, permanent LED light poles will be installed around Mosle Field to replace the existing portable diesel-powered HID light towers.

The project will not change the field layouts or configurations, and the department is working with the township engineer to see if they can use renewable energy sources such as solar.

Since public conversations regarding the project picked up earlier this year, many residents have spent time debating the project's potential approval, with much of the community divided on what the best option is.

Residents have expressed concerns about the project proposal in recent months, ranging from potential negative environmental effects to increased traffic and lighting implications for residents living near the fields.