Access to new field denied Lopatcong officials say park preservation behind the decision. Thursday, February 15, 2007 • By DANIEL HAUSMANN • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | Lopatcong Township has restricted access to the new high school property for Phillipsburg athletic teams, members of the buildings and grounds committee said. Committee Chairman Bernard Brotzman told the school board that the Lopatcong Township Council voted Feb. 7 to deny access to the district through the Lopatcong Park on Belvidere Road. "They have a fear it's going to rip up the road," Brotzman said, referring to the loop path that goes through the park. The only completed part of the long-stalled high school is the athletic field. Last month, the school board authorized a $2,000 study on putting an artificial surface at Maloney Stadium. Monday night, the board authorized an additional $5,790 for a topographic study. District officials said the current high school athletic field is already overused. Plans to add more trailers at the high school may take away more grass, those officials added. Lopatcong Mayor Doug Steinhardt said there are issues between the district and township that need to be worked out such as hours of operation. Steinhardt called the issues a "no-brainer" and said they can be worked out in a five-minute phone call. A primary access road is planned to connect the new athletic field with Roseberry Street. However the curbing hasn't been cut in yet. There is a fenced-off emergency entrance behind the Lopatcong pool. "It's disappointing, we hoped it would be a safe alternative to access from Belvidere Road," board President Paul Rummerfield said. "I'm concerned about the traffic and volume." Superintendent Gordon Pethick said the district would need Warren County approval to cut in on Belvidere Road. The three-floor, 400,000-square-foot high school has been on the shelf since July 2005 when the New Jersey School Construction Corporation announced it only had enough money to fund 59 of 350 statewide school projects. Brotzman said there is a completed all-purpose field at the new high school which can be used for sports teams and the band. Reporter Daniel Hausmann can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at dhausmann@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used by NJ.com with permission.