Town Tours Morris Plains: Community Park and Garden

Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of articles featured in a weeklong tour of Morris Plains. The Daily Record will have extra coverage through Saturday of the borough, its people, its culture and its history.

Though representing just 2.6 miles in size, Morris Plains has a long-standing commitment to the health and well-being of its 5,500 residents, and nowhere is this better demonstrated than by the town's Community Park and Community Garden, two spaces which deliver peace, a connection to the environment and a great outdoor experience.

A walk in the park

This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Morris Plains Community Park, a 40-acre space which was originally part of the Thonas Farm until it was officially dedicated for use by the community in 1964.

In addition to housing the town's municipal pool, "the park features a pond that people can fish in and take canoe rides on, as well as six baseball fields (two of which have lighting for nighttime games), three full-sized basketball courts, tennis courts, and a large playground, which is the site of a six-week long children's summer camp each year," said George Coogan, a nearly 40-year resident of Morris Plains who has been on the town council for the past 13 years and serves as its current president.

The park, which regularly attracts nature lovers, people walking their dogs and a variety of little league teams, "offers a little bit of everything and gets a lot of use," Coogan said. "It's part of the fabric of our town."

The park also houses the town's Community Center, formerly a small 1960's-era elementary school called the Community Park School that was closed over a decade ago, acquired by the town and renovated for community use in 2005.

"Now, any organization in town can use the building for meetings and gatherings — the Rotary Club, for example, hosts an annual breakfast there every year," he said. "It represents the ultimate in repurposing and recycling."

To celebrate the park's golden anniversary during the town's annual 'Family Day' festivities this past summer, residents watched excitedly as Mayor Frank Druetzler and the town council dug up a time capsule that had been buried there 50 years earlier during the original dedication of the park.

"It contained a letter from then-mayor Paul Bangiola designating the land's use as a community park as well as a copy of the town's weekly paper, pictures of that year's graduating classes from the Borough School and Saint Virgil Academy, lists of the members of the fire and police departments, and other pictures and memorabilia," said Coogan, of the items that are currently among those on display at the Morris Plains Museum, located on the Community Center's lower level. "We're currently collecting contents for a new time capsule, which we hope will be opened 50 years from now, in 2064," he said.

Garden of plenty

Championed by Morris Plains resident, town Beautification Committee member and avid gardener George Ross, the town's community garden was officially opened in 2011 under his management.

While committee and borough representatives unanimously embraced the concept, "our first challenge was trying to find a suitable space for it," Coogan recalled. "We needed a large space with great sunlight and access to water, but with all of the ball fields, tennis and basketball courts, and shade trees at the park, there was no real place for a community garden there."

The group ultimately settled on an optimal one-acre space on Central Avenue among open fields and woods that had been acquired as green space from the state.

Water was another concern, but thanks to an old house that had previously resided on the property and been torn down, "we were able to tap off of existing water service that was still in the ground and lay a pipe through the center of the garden to provide a watering station," Coogan said.

When it came to support in constructing the garden, "the Morris County Park Commission was extremely helpful, arranging for us to talk to experts and visit an existing community garden nearby, and a farmer from Fosterfields in Morristown helped us to prepare the top layer of soil by scraping it and turning it over with a tractor," he said.

Launched three years ago with 40 plots — including both smaller 4' by 16' plots and larger 4' by 32' plots designed to serve gardeners of all skill and commitment levels — residents' response to the garden was overwhelming and the space was filled immediately, such that the garden was expanded in both its second and third year and now contains 105 plots.

Open all year

Open year-round and supporting the growth of everything from fruits and vegetables to plants and flowers, "we've learned a little more and tweaked the basic structure every year," Coogan said. "We installed an eight-foot-high fence around the garden in our first year to keep the wildlife out, but learned very quickly that we also needed to install fencing two feet below the ground as well to prevent rabbits and groundhogs from burrowing underneath."

Since then, "we've settled in on a great formula," Coogan said, noting that members of the community garden even established a program through which they successfully donated over 1,200 pounds of excess produce to the nearby Interfaith Food Pantry this season.

"The garden has been a big success and our members represent residents of all ages, a true cross-section of the community," he said. "It's a real fraternity where everyone helps each other."

Annual fees of $25 for a small plot and $50 for a large plot go towards maintenance of the property and fencing. Members can keep their same plot from year to year, "which encourages everyone to improve and invest in their plots" through the use of raised beds, tomato cages, and other measures, Coogan said. "Overall, the garden is another one of the great activities the town offers and reaches out to gardeners to come together and share their passion."

"Our Community Park and Community Garden are both reflective of our town motto, 'A Community of Caring,' and engage citizens in pulling together, enjoying each other and connecting to nature and the environment," said Coogan.

For more information on Morris Plains' Community Park or Community Garden, call (973) 538-2224 or visit the Morris Plains borough at www.morrisplainsboro.org.

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