UPPER FREEHOLD — Township officials must decide whether to phase in development of Reed Park, complete the entire design or choose which items to fund.

At the Feb. 2 Township Committee meeting, project engineer Patrick Jeffrey of T&M Associates, gave the governing body an update on the design, which he said is 95 percent complete. Jeffrey noted that the town received a $250,000 matching grant from the county.

Township engineer Glenn Gerken said once permit decisions are received from the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the committee must decide how much of the project they want to do in 2012 or what they want to do next year.

Once permits are approved, the town has five years from the approval date to phase in any part of the project, Jeffrey said.

The township has owned the Route 526 park, currently used by various local sports teams, since 2004.

Among the changes since Jeffrey last appeared before the committee several months ago is the removal of a 90-degree bend in the parking lot in the southern section of the park, and the reorientation of a softball field.

The proposed building is larger than previously shown in plans, but that is in order to get permits to build a structure that size, he said.

“You don’t have to build a larger building, but it will be allowed,” he said.

Although the original plan was for a building approximately the same type and size as the one at the township’s Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex, the new building is twice that size, according to Jeffrey.

Aproposed veteran’s memorial was also added.

The property has a high water table, and if the township ever stopped mowing it, sections of the park would have a lot of wetlands vegetation growing, Jeffrey said. The park consists of 31 acres, but on its south side, only 3 acres may be improved due to environmental constraints, he said.

The parking area for the southern section consists of 70 spaces, while the northern section will have 160.

Jeffrey said the committee could consider reducing costs by abandoning any development on the southern side.

Mark Bramble, secretary of the township’s Recreation Committee, said the building is a safety feature. There could be 150 kids at a practice, and if a lightning storm comes through, they need a shelter to get to, he said, adding that if an organization holds tournaments, there could be thousands of people present.

According to Jeffrey, the entire project should cost approximately $1.3 million.

If the township decided not to construct the building for bathrooms and concessions on the site, it could reduce the amount by $845,000, he said. He noted that in the current economic climate, construction bids are more competitive.