New Athletic Fields Considered to Replace the Ones on Farmingdale Rd.

The township is planning on developing a 12-acre plot of land off of Alps Road to replace the athletic fields on Farmingdale Road due to constant flooding in the area.

Officials closed the fields earlier this year and will just let nature take its course on the property.

Officials want to install soccer, softball, lacrosse, and possibly football fields on the property. The land is located near Hamburg Turnpike and DePaul Catholic High School.

The township purchased the land for $4.5 million in 2006.

Officials are planning on using a combination of municipal and county open space funds and money from the state’s Green Acres program to finance the project.

The council approved an ordinance Wednesday night to bond $71,000 to finance paying for the engineering and design work for the project.

Officials are applying for a $1.5 million grant from the Passaic County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to help finance the project. Officials hope to hear if the town received the grant in December.

The township will go out to bid for the project in the middle of 2013 when funding is in place and a design plan is finalized.

Officials will not know the exact cost of the project until bids come back.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.