Wrestling Association Pins Down Land for New Facility

After two years seeking access to a piece of unused land to build a facility for young wrestlers and cheerleaders, the Watchung Hills Wrestling Association finally scored the winning point at Monday's Planning Board meeting.
 
"Now that we have the commitment and approvals from the town, DEP and the Planning Board, we are preparing to start a fulltime fundraising committee focused on strictly raising money from business and corporations in and outside of the community," WHWA President Marc Hayward said. 

The board gave site plan approval for the plan, which splits off a piece of property at Stirling Road and Mountain Avenue that had been owned by the township school district.

The WHWA first presented its plans to the school board in February 2011, but complications with restrictions on the uses of the land required a series of steps before the final decision could be rendered. 

The land had been donated to the school district by the township and carried a restriction requiring its use be limited to educational needs. To enable the WHWA proposal, the board had to rescind its agreement with the township, then have the township slice off a piece of the land to return to the school district—and move forward with the site plan review.

Monday's unanimous approval from the Planning Board, which must still be memorialized, ends the association's grappling with land use issues and moves the project into a fundraising and construction phase.

"Last night's approval was a major hurdle that we overcame and now the focus is on raising the funds needed to begin and complete construction of the Watchung Hills wrestling facility," Hayward said.

In an e-mail sent to the association's membership, Hayward thanked Warren Township Attorney Jeff Lehrer for his attention in helping shepherd the application through the Planning Board process.

He said financial commitments the group had received in 2011 were still in place, and the the association has about $70,000 dedicated to the construction of the proposed 6,600 square foot center.

The group's next fundraising event is a $100-per-plate dinner event Sept. 27 at the Basking Ridge Country Club.

"This facility will give present and future kids the opportunity to compete at a higher level with the sport and will allow us to continue the tradition of being one of the most successful athletic sports programs in the community, both at a youth and high school level," Hayward said.

The WHWA is a recreational wrestling program for children between 5 and 14 years of age in Warren, Watchung, Green Brook and Long Hill. Registration for the 2013-2014 season is open—see the attached registration form for more information.