Babe Ruth field moving ahead

[news]

Babe Ruth field moving ahead
By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer

Posted: Friday, November 30, 2007 10:41 AM EST

CRANBURY — The highly anticipated Babe Ruth regulation size baseball field on the Wright South property just got a little closer to completion.

The Township Committee on Tuesday awarded a contract to Precise Construction Inc., to build the field.

Precise Construction bid $297,000 for the project. The highest bidder gave an estimate of around $570,000 to build the field, said Cathleen Marcelli, township engineer.

Township Clerk Cathy Cunningham said the township received a $400,000 grant from Middlesex County to help pay for the project.

Precise will be responsible for constructing a number of elements on the field, including outfield drainage, grading, piping, yard inlets, seeding, infield mixes and base paths, she said.

Eight companies submitted bids, five of which were within $100,000 of Precise’s, Ms. Marcelli said.

Ms. Marcelli said as a part of the contract Precise is not required to include, design or install a scoreboard, bleacher or dugouts.

The Township Committee will eventually consider bids for those items as a separate project, Ms. Marcelli said.

At present, Ms. Marcelli said, Precise Construction must first sign the contract and a performance guarantee before the township can give it notice to proceed.

”The clock doesn’t start until we give him notice to proceed,” Ms. Marcelli said. “There’s 150 to 180 days they have to complete the work.”

One Cranbury resident, Jack Ziegler, told committee members Monday that he believed the baseball field was an unnecessary project at the expense of taxpayers.
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http://www.packetonline.com/articles/2007/11/30/cranbury_press/news/doc47502c2167afd223460930.prt

[Guest]

[Jeff M.]

Does anyone else find it odd or a concern that they would vote prior to obtaining a town person's feedback. My concern over the two people being re-elected was that the town would go on as business as usual with expenses increasing. However, I hoped that winning an election by so close a margin would cause them to reflect. Instead it is same as usual.

I'm not a republican or democrate. However, for balance sake I think we do need to have the TC be 2-3 one way or the other in order to provide balance a 4-1 ratio is not allowing for input that would stop the expenses that are not necessary.