A long-awaited inclusive playground at Taylor Park is facing higher engineering costs after state environmental regulators found contaminated soil at the site.

The Millburn Township Committee approved an additional $117,670 for Suburban Consulting Engineers on Thursday, June 18, to cover extra testing, surveying and permitting work required by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the Green Acres Program.

The increase brings the engineering contract from its original $67,330 to about $185,000 — nearly three times the initial cost.

Contamination delays planning

The issue surfaced after a Preliminary Assessment Report identified historic fill beneath the playground site. Recreation Director Chris Myers first updated the Recreation Commission in February, saying additional soil testing would be needed.

By April, testing found contamination in two of seven soil boring locations.

"Additional testing must be done in those two spots in attempt to delineate the results," Myers told commissioners. "There is still a chance the two spots will come back below the thresholds and the project can continue to move forward."

A third round of testing was completed in May, with the state ultimately requiring additional environmental measures, including a demarcation fabric layer between the stone base and playground surfacing, along with further surveying and documentation.

Playground funding remains separate

The added engineering costs are separate from construction expenses.

In April, the Township Committee approved a $750,000 Green Acres grant for the playground, along with a $250,000 local match. Business Administrator Alexander McDonald said the grant applies "only for the playground area."

The overall investment in the project now exceeds $1.18 million. The township has not announced how it will cover the additional engineering costs.

What's next

The June 18 approval passed as part of the consent agenda, meaning it was approved with other routine items without separate discussion.

The Township Committee's next meeting is Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. at the Millburn Education Center, 434 Millburn Ave. The Recreation Commission is also scheduled to discuss the playground project at its Wednesday, July 15, meeting.

Residents can attend either meeting to ask questions or provide feedback on the project's progress.