UPPER FREEHOLD - Little League participants may have an indoor place to practice in town come next winter.

The Township Committee discussed creating an indoor batting cage at its Feb. 28 meeting. Any resolution to the winter training issue would not come soon enough for this season, which begins on March 31 for the 425-memberAllentownUpper Freehold Little League (AUFLL).

AUFLL President David Reeder had previously asked the governing body to consider allowing the league to place a former greenhouse on municipal property for use as a batting cage.

Mayor Steve Alexander said the committee received a memo from construction official Ron Gafgen, who suggested the town build an inexpensive indoor recreational facility rather than have the Little League put up the greenhouse. However, the indoor facility would not be as inexpensive as originally thought, Alexander said.

Reeder said he had been in contact with Gafgen and that all recreational sports in town dream of having some sort of field house.

According to Reeder, the only site in town that could accommodate a field house is the Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex on Old York Road. He said that the soccer leagues are in a position to build some sort of shelter on that property for their summer camps.

Committeeman David Reed asked if the AUFLL could contributemoney toward the construction of a field house. Reeder said the league could and that he believed other sports leagues would give funds.

"There's no sport here that wouldn't like to see something like that," he said.

Committeeman Stanley Moslowski Jr. said if themoney could be raised and if participants are enthusiastic, "it may not be a dream that is that far away."

Alexander told Reeder that the AUFLL could proceed with the greenhouse project while the committee continues to plan for a permanent structure.

Township Administrator Barbara Bascom said the township has several sites set aside for recreation. She said the town could not put an indoor recreational facility on land purchased with state Green Acres funding.

When asked how long it would take the AUFLL to put up the greenhouse, Reeder said that weather permitting, it would take at least two or three weekends to put the facility together.

Reeder said that once their season starts, the teams could use the greenhouse for batting practice in the evenings.He also said that although baseball finishes at the end of July, fall ball is held in September and October.

"The seed is planted," he said of the indoor facility. "I want it to mature to a fullsize tree."