by Julie Fink, Gazette Staff
Writer
HAMMONTON—The effort continues on
the part of Hammonton town officials, department
heads and its employees to beautify, renovate
and renew its roadways, sidewalks and buildings
by focusing on its parks and recreation fields.
“Two and a half years ago after Mayor [John
DiDonato] first took office he realized the
town’s needs were not being met in relation to
recreation for the youth, as well as, the
seniors,” Councilman Jerome Barberio said.
In response, the mayor created the Mayor’s
Action Team and Barberio was appointed as the
parks and recreation advocate.
Barberio has related experience as the Assistant
Director of Public Works for Atlantic County and
his past employment as a horticulturist and as a
manager for a sizable production nursery in
Cumberland County. It is this experience that
qualifies him as a knowledgeable source for
related information.
As such, Barberio has been deeply rooted in the
plans to establish safe, beautiful and
well-maintained recreation fields and parks
throughout town.
Today as a councilman, Barberio has continued
that effort in many ways including the
introduction of guidelines and criteria for the
maintenance of the town recreation fields and
parks.
The guidelines were introduced at the April 15
Hammonton Parks and Recreation Commission
meeting where it was approved and recommended to
town council for adoption as the official town
guidelines.
The objective of the maintenance guidelines is
to maintain clean and safe parks by
incorporating safety guidelines and a monthly
survey program, to provide areas of turf for
both recreation and leisure, to utilize the best
management products to reduce chemicals and
fertilizers and to integrate organic products to
establish a healthy turf and a safe recreation
and leisure surface for the town residents.
Specific details include that the mowing of the
parks and fields should take place on a weekly
basis and maintained at a minimum height of two
inches.
It instructs maintenance workers to conduct
weekly visits to the site to check for fence
damage, walkway hazards, or any other potential
safety issue.
Barberio also encourages the use of organic and
low phosphorous fertilizers in the guidelines.
“Organic fertilizers can provide the athletic
fields and general turf areas with adequate
nutrients to maintain vigor and growth. These
fertilizers provide natural slow-release and
temperature released nutrients that are safer
for the community. There are also some organic
fertilizers that are low in phosphorous, which
are better for turf around the lake,” he noted
in the guideline packet.
“Our goal is to increase safety and ensure our
playing fields are the best they can be. The
goal is to slowly wean ourselves off of chemical
fertilizers to low or no phosphorous and organic
fertilizers,” he said.
Barberio hopes this encourages community members
to join in the effort in helping the environment
of the town by using organic or low phosphorous
fertilizers.
Additionally, Barberio has been instrumental in
applying for grant money through the Atlantic
County Open Space and Recreation Grant Funding
program, where to date the town of Hammonton had
been awarded $611,000 during the eighth round
for land acquisition for the purpose of creating
open space and recreation.
The seventh and eighth rounds funding equals
approximately $850,000 according to John Helbig
of Adams, Rehmann and Heggan during testimony
heard at the April 15 park and recreation
commission meeting.
At that meeting the members approved and
recommended for mayor and town council to take
action and begin the process to move forward on
the “for sale” properties on the list of round
eight approvals.
Currently, the ninth round is in the review
process, but the plans were very aggressive,
seeking more than $4.9 million in development,
according to Helbig.
The ninth round allows for development rather
then just land acquisition, Barberio said.
“The ninth round is very competitive. More than
20 municipalities have requested funding,”
Helbig said.
According to Barberio, the county will be
offering this for the next four to five years,
so he is hopeful that if they do not receive
approval for all, they can continue to make the
same application for the next five years.
Barberio said the application for parking and
roadway improvements and the senior community
center for Hammonton Lake Park are being
reviewed by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission
for the second time, and a response is expected
in May.
Barberio explained that a Small Cities Community
Block Grant was received in the amount of
$400,000 for that specific project.
The efforts of all involved have lead to several
projects at the Hammonton Lake Park, including
the installation of Clean Flo, the creation of a
plan and grant application to increase safer
parking, create a senior community center, and
to build an amphitheater and a pedestrian bridge
to link the William Smith Conservation area to
the park, according to Barberio.
Additionally, the grand plan at the Boyer Avenue
Recreation Complex encompasses about 90 acres of
recreation that would about fulfill the town’s
need of Open Space and Recreation Inventory (ROSI),
Barberio said.
There are plans in the works to extend sanitary
sewer to the Boyer Avenue fields in order to
have bathroom facilities and a concession stand
and create four additional soccer fields and two
baseball fields.
“With over 650 kids strong in the soccer
program, it is our responsibility to make sure
that they have enough proper playing fields that
are safe to play on so that they can continue
the amazing program they have established,” he
said.
The football and little league programs have
made it known that they are happy staying at the
Hammonton Lake Park facility, according to
Barberio.
“But the little league wanted to expand a little
and that is why two baseball fields are proposed
at the Boyer Avenue complex,” he said.
According to Barberio, he believes the Boyer
Avenue fields will fill the town’s need quite
well. Time is just needed to plan, create and
find funding sources, he said.
The 11th Street fields will eventually be moved
to Boyer Avenue and put on the market for sale
as an industrial zoned parcel of land, according
to Barberio.
Currently, work is being done at the parks and
fields to begin the spring season.
According to Recreation Supervisor Lou Rodio,
the playground mulch at the Hammonton Lake Park
has been replaced at a capacity of 12 inches in
depth compacted to ten inches and the athletic
fields have been cut and fertilized with a low
phosphorous mix.
The roadways have been cleaned by the street
sweeper and the bathrooms are now open, he
continued.
“The other flowerbeds are currently being
prepared to receive mulch,” he said.
At the Eleventh Street recreation fields, new
infield mix has been applied and some repair
work has been completed to the batters box.
Veterans Park has been mowed and the flowerbeds
have been mulched.
The highway department is currently working on
removing the weeds and preparing the beds for
mulch to the remaining parks at Front Street,
Leo Club, Key Club and Columbus Park, according
to Rodio.
The irrigation systems located at some of the
parks are scheduled to become operational this
week, he continued.
Each year the Hammonton Garden Club usually
becomes involved in some of the plantings at the
parks, but to date it has not been coordinated
with Rodio.
“I believe they will continue to help, they just
haven’t contacted me yet,” he said.

|