Township of Manalapan
For many years, the Manalapan Township Committee and Recreation Advisors recognized the need to expand the recreation facilities within the Township. The demands of local youth and adult athletic leagues, as well as the Township Recreation department, significantly increased the use of the existing facilities of the Manalapan Recreation Center, the centrally located facility in the town which currently provides almost all of the athletic fields for local sports groups within the Township.
In January of 2014 Mr. Valesi was authorized by the Mayor and Township Committee to design and construct the centrally located comfort building within the Recreation Center Expansion. Bid Documents were prepared, and the project was bid and awarded in February of 2014 and substantially complete in September 2014.
Amenities included within comfort building consist of a men's room, women's room, family style bathroom and a 500 square foot meeting room. Mr. Valesi used a pre-fabricated building design where major construction of the building was completed off-site then shipped to the park as a complete unit. This reduced project costs and significantly shortened the timeframe to complete the project as well as avoid major disruption to the active park.
For years, members of the Township committee as well as Recreation Advisory Board members have heard the request of the residents for a "Splash Park" to be constructed. Due to the popularity of Splash Parks and recognizing the need for an aquatic addition to the Recreation Center, the Mayor and Committee commissioned their Township Engineer to study the feasibility of the inclusion of such a facility within the complex.
Considering its inclusion within the Recreation Complex, Mr.Valesi's Splash Park design was "sports themed" with spraying soccer balls, basketballs, football goal posts, and a basketball hoop. A spraying rain tree, aqua hoop and water cannons were included for added summertime fun. The base of the Splash Park consisted of a two color bonded rubber surface with a depressed curb perimeter.
Splash Park amenities included stamped concrete walkways around the perimeter. Cut out areas with shade sail covered benches for onlookers. A decorative 6' high decorative aluminum fence, with gates encompasses the Splash Park.
Control Facilities include drainage and supply lines, valves and control equipment to all splash aspects of the facility.
The design and placement of the comfort building and splash pad was coordinated with the Manalapan DPW, who in between construction of the splash pad and restrooms and using municipal DPW staff, completed construction of the picnic pavilion that ties all the facilities together.
With the assistance of Mr. Valesi, both projects were 50% funded through grants from Monmouth County Municipal Open Space Program.
The Township held the ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 1, 2015; officially opening the Splash Pad for all camp kids and local children to enjoy throughout the summer.