City of Northfield, NJ Article II Birch Grove Park, Veterans Park and First Street Playground Regulations

[Adopted 6-9-1987 by Ord. No. 14-87 (Ch. 86B, Art. II, of the 1974 Code)]

§ 250-2 Prohibited activities.

[Amended 7-16-1991 by Ord. No. 15-91; 11-16-1993 by Ord. No. 30-93; 9-9-2008 by Ord. No. 12-2008; 9-25-2018 by Ord. No. 9-2018[1]]

A. No alcoholic beverages shall be permitted within the confines of Birch Grove Park, Veterans Park and the First Street Playground within the City of Northfield. This includes all structures and all lands within the metes and bounds description of the parcels of property constituting Birch Grove Park, Veterans Park and the First Street Playground.

B. No person(s) shall be permitted to bring any dog, cat or other domestic pet into the confines of Birch Grove Park and the First Street Playground in the City of Northfield or on any lands within the metes and bounds description of the parcels of property constituting the park and the First Street Playground.

C. No person(s) shall be permitted to deposit, leave or abandon any domesticated or nondomesticated animal or other living creature within the confines of Birch Grove Park, Veterans Park and the First Street Playground in the City of Northfield. This restriction and prohibition is intended to be all inclusive.

D. No person shall park or stand a vehicle in or upon the Veterans Park (as defined in § 250-12 of the Code of the City of Northfield) or any of attendant and/or adjacent public parking areas between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.

E. No person shall hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, pursue, chase, tease, shoot, or throw missiles at any animal, wildlife, reptile or bird, nor shall any person remove or have in his/her possession the young of any wild animal or the eggs or nestlings of any reptile or bird.

[Added 7-18-2023 by Ord. No. 10-2023]

F. No person should carry or possess firearms of any description or air rifles, spring guns, bows or arrows, slings or any other forms of weapons potentially inimical to wildlife or dangerous to human safety, or any instrument that can be loaded with and is capable of firing blank cartridges. Shooting into a park area from beyond park boundaries is prohibited. Employing or having possession of any kind of trapping device is also prohibited.

[Added 7-18-2023 by Ord. No. 10-2023]

[1] Editor’s Note: This ordinance also changed the title of this Art. II from “Birch Grove Park and First Street Playground Regulations” to its current title.

§ 250-3 Reserved use of athletic fields or park facilities.

[Added 3-24-2020 by Ord. No. 4-2020[1]]

A. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

ATHLETIC FIELD AREA

The public area that includes but is not limited to all baseball, softball, football fields and practice areas located west of Burton Avenue.

BANDSTAND/GAZEBO

A freestanding airy structure in a scenic setting behind the Casto House Museum, offering shade and sufficient size for small musical bands performing outdoor concerts.

RESERVED USE

Kept or set apart for some particular use or purpose.

B. Application required.

(1) Requests by outside organizations* for reserved use of any Northfield Municipal Facilities, or any use of athletic fields must be coordinated through the City Clerk's Office, and must be submitted in writing, on the forms provided by the City of Northfield. It is a two-part process, consisting of a use of facilities application, and if approved, a use of facilities agreement. If use is approved, the requesting organization must abide by insurance requirements as set forth in the agreement.

(2) All requests for use of athletic fields by outside organizations* require City Council approval and will be considered by the City Council at a regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body. Meeting schedules can be found on the municipal website.

(3) Submission of an application does not guarantee that use of facilities will be approved.

*NOTE: Refers to groups other than the City of Northfield Cultural Committee.

[Amended 3-8-2022 by Ord. No. 4-2022]

C. Use of athletic field lights.

(1) Applicants must indicate if field lights are requested on the initial application. If application is approved, a flat fee of $250 for use of field lights shall be due upon execution of the agreement by the applicant. Fee is nonrefundable.

(2) Additional applications by the same applicant shall be subject to additional light-use fee.

(3) There shall be no fee for use of athletic fields by not-for-profit educational institutions whose use was approved pursuant to the terms of this section.

[Added 3-8-2022 by Ord. No. 4-2022]

[1] Editor’s Note: Former § 250-3, Permit for consumption of alcohol in Birch Grove Park, as amended, was repealed 9-25-2018 by Ord. No. 9-2018.

§ 250-4 Compliance with rules by groups seeking permits.

No permit shall be issued to any group unless there shall be full compliance with all requirements set forth herein and such additional rules or regulations as may from time to time be imposed by the governing body of the City of Northfield. In determining whether to grant the permit, the governing body of the City of Northfield shall take into consideration such other factors as crowd control, number of groups applying at a given date and time, traffic regulations, impact upon the lands and premises and such other factors as may be deemed to be relevant.

§ 250-5 Permit required for groups in Birch Grove Park.

A. No group shall be permitted to utilize Birch Grove Park in the City of Northfield unless a permit shall have been obtained from the Clerk of the City of Northfield or the Clerk's designee. No permit shall be issued unless application is made not less than five business days prior to the contemplated use of the premises. If use is for any athletic field area, or the Bandstand/Gazebo, said use is subject to the application procedures as defined in § 250-3.

[Amended 9-9-2008 by Ord. No. 12-2008; 3-24-2020 by Ord. No. 4-2020]

B. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

GROUP or ORGANIZATION

A collective number of persons, being 10 or more in number, whether related or unrelated, and participating in an organized activity or outing involving the use of the subject premises or any portion thereof.

§ 250-6 Operating hours.

[Amended 9-9-2008 by Ord. No. 12-2008; 9-25-2018 by Ord. No. 9-2018; 3-24-2020 by Ord. No. 4-2020]

A. Birch Grove Park shall be closed to all persons between the hours of dusk and dawn, or such other hours as may from time to time be posted at the entrance by the Public Works Superintendent.

[Amended 7-18-2023 by Ord. No. 10-2023]

B. The portion of Birch Grove Park that encompasses the City-owned athletic fields located on Burton Avenue, shall follow the same hours of operation as in Subsection A above, with the following exceptions:

[Amended 3-8-2022 by Ord. No. 4-2022]

(1) Use of athletic fields by any group or organization shall be bound by the time constraints established pursuant to an approved use of facilities agreement, and as authorized under § 250-3.

C. The Bandstand/Gazebo area of Birch Grove Park shall follow the same hours of operation as in Subsection A above, with the following exceptions:

(1) Use of the Bandstand/Gazebo area by the City of Northfield Cultural Committee shall not be subject to the regular hours of operation.

(2) Use of the Bandstand/Gazebo area by any other group or organization shall be bound by the time constraints established pursuant to an approved use of facilities agreement, and as authorized under § 250-3.

D. The First Street Playground shall be open between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

§ 250-7 Feeding of geese and waterfowl in Birch Grove Park.

[Added 3-5-2002 by Ord. No. 4-2002; amended 7-18-2023 by Ord. No. 10-2023]

A. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

FEED

To give, place, expose, deposit, distribute or scatter any edible material with the intention of feeding, attracting or enticing wildlife. Feeding does not include baiting in the legal taking of fish and/or game.

WILDLIFE

All animals that are neither human nor domesticated.

B. It shall be unlawful for any member of the public who shall visit Birch Grove Park, Veterans Park, or the First Street Playground, to feed any wildlife within these areas. Any person violating this section shall be subject to the violation and penalties portion of this article.

§ 250-8 Violations and penalties.

[Amended 4-24-2012 by Ord. No. 3-2012]

The penalty for violation of any provision of this article shall be as set forth in Chapter 1, General Provisions, § 1-15.