Freeholders award $7M sports complex contract -- Put aside debate over rising cost By SHANNON D. HARRINGTON, STAFF WRITER Date: 09-09-2003, Tuesday Section: LOCAL Edtion: All Bergen Editions.=.Two Star B. One Star B
A contract to build a regional sports complex in Palisades Park has won the approval of the Bergen County freeholders despite complaints last month that the project's price tag grew by 50 percent without the Freeholder Board's blessing.
Edgewater-based Daibes Bros. Inc. was awarded the $7.1 million contract to build the sports complex, which ultimately is expected to cost $8.3 million.
The project - which calls for expanding an existing football and soccer field and building several recreational baseball and softball fields in Overpeck County Park - was one of two regional sports complexes that the county estimated would cost about $5.6 million each.
The freeholders approved an $11 million bond issue in 2001 to cover the cost of the Palisades Park project and a similar project that was to have been built next to Pascack Valley Regional High School.
County officials dropped the Pascack Valley project after Hillsdale residents complained. The officials then expanded the scope of the Palisades Park project - boosting the football field seating from 1,000 to 2,500 and adding parking and new storage buildings and concession stands among other things - that added about $2.7 million in new costs.
The new price tag drew complaints from freeholders last month who said they never signed off on the changes, which were made last year under the Republican administration of County Executive William "Pat" Schuber.
But the board voted 5-2 last week to approve the bigger of two contracts for the project. The second contract, which will include construction of the buildings, will be awarded at a later date.
Freeholder Chairwoman Valerie Huttle said she was satisfied by county Treasurer Al Dispoto's explanation that parks officials did not need freeholder approval to change the scope of the Palisades Park project. The $11 million bond ordinance that the freeholders approved in 2001 did not specify how much would be spent on each project, Dispoto said.
"It's a practice that they can do," said Huttle, one of the five Democrats on the board to vote for the contract.
The two Republicans on the board voted against the contract, saying that they wanted to know how the use of the county-owned fields will be doled out to the neighboring towns.
Palisades Park and Leonia high schools are expected to use the football/soccer field and track facilities. Palisades Park wants exclusive use of one of the Little League baseball fields to replace the borough's field, which the school district wants to sell to a developer so that it can help finance a new $4 million early childhood center.
"My main concern is putting $7 million into basically one community and not having anything in detail as to who else can use it," said Republican Freeholder Richard Mola.
Project engineers have said that Daibes Bros., the lowest of nine bidders, could begin construction of the fields as early as next month. The project is expected to take about a year to complete.
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E-mail: harrington@northjersey.com
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Keywords: PALISADES PARK, SPORT, PARK, CONTRACT
