Community Corner

River Edge Mayor and Council to Apply for Grant for Cherry Blossom Park

Despite objections that the County Open Space grant should be applied to existing projects, the governing body of River Edge passes resolution to apply for an Open Space grant for Cherry Blossom Park.

With the voiced dissent of Councilmen Alphonse Bartelloni and Anthony Cappola, a resolution passed to apply for open space grant funding for Cherry Blossom Park. Both Bartelloni and Cappola are in favor of Cherry Blossom Park, but feel the Mayor and Council should focus open space grant funding on completing the lighting project at Kenneth B. George Field, and not divert any potential Open Space grant funding to another project until the lighting is complete.  

Moscaritolo said that both the lighting at KGB Field and Cherry Blossom Park are "worthwhile projects," that the council is committed to completing, but the lighting is a "big ticket item" -- approximately $300,000.  He also added that money is being directed towards the lighting project every year.

The borough purchased the .9 acre lot between Cherry Hill Elementary and the Christian Community Church in 2008 with the goal of creating a park in the southern part of town. According to Councilwoman Kathleen Murphy, the Borough has not created a park in 50 years. 

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The land to be developed into Cherry Blossom Park was purchased with a Bergen County Open Space grant. During the special meeting that directly followed Monday's Mayor and Council work session, the governing body voted to approve applying for additional funding through the Open Space grant to further complete the park. The council also appointed Moscaritolo as the Borough's Open Space representative with the County to "champion the grant application." 

To date, a structure that was on the property has been demolished, the property cleared of overgrowth and a tree farm planted. 

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According to Moscaritolo, a portion of the labor on the park was done via the inmate work release program of the Bergen County Jail, at no cost to the Borough. The Mayor said that he hopes to be able to utilize that service going forward.

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