Proposals to create a dog park and skateboard park are under review by the Neptune Township Committee.
Business Administrator Vito Gadaleta said the township is looking to fund the parks using Monmouth County Open Space funding.
“That process is underway,” he said.
Township Committee members said that access and visibility are important factors in creating either of the parks and that a previous proposal to place a skateboard park at the intersection of Stratford Avenue and Neptune Blvd. fell through due to a lack of community support to locate it there.
“We need to make sure of their location and commit to it,” Committeeman Randy Bishop said.
Deputy Mayor Michal Brantley said he too would like to know the response of residents moving forward in selecting a skateboard site.
He said that a proposal to create a skateboard park in Asbury Park may take off some of the pressure to create a similar park in Neptune.
Mayor Kevin McMillan said officials should look at what other towns have done regarding skateboard parks.
Governing body members also suggested that the old Welsh dairy farm site on Old Corlies Avenue may be a good place for a dog park.
The 6.46-acre tract was originally the Wardell dairy, the oldest-operating dairy in Monmouth County, until it closed after merging with Welsh Farms in 1975. It is the largest undeveloped tract on Old Corlies Avenue and has been vacant for a number of years.
The new Veteran’s Park has been built on a portion of tract and the rest of the area is expected to be used for passive recreation.
“I think it will be very welcomed by the community,” Committeewoman Carol Rizzo said.
Committeeman Nicholas Williams said that the township needs to explore insurance issues at any of the parks.
“I like the dog park (at the Welsh farm site) because it would be centrally located in the township,” he said.
