If you grew up in Berkeley Heights, how many summer nights did you spend at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast on Springfield Avenue? The feast was held on that property for more than 100 years. Since Wednesday, October 21, the same ground has been Springfield Avenue Park, a 35.2-acre Union County park on the Passaic River, at the spot where Berkeley Heights meets Morris County.
The move to a park has already rearranged the traditions around this stretch of Springfield Avenue. This July, the feast was held on the Mount Carmel Society's own property instead. Union County now looks after the land. Within days of the opening, the township's New Year's Eve fireworks plan was changed to protect the new playground.
What's on the old Berkeley Caterers property now
The park sits on the former Berkeley Caterers site at 735-737 Springfield Ave. According to TAPinto Berkeley Heights' report on the opening, the finished park includes:
- Playground areas with shade structures and picnic tables, including an owl-shaped play structure
- About a mile of walking paths, plus multipurpose walking trails
- A synthetic-surface walking track
- Benches and a pavilion
- Two ADA-accessible boat launches on the Passaic
Union County is responsible for maintaining the park. That means county park rules apply here. If you bring a dog, Union County requires a leash no longer than six feet and expects owners to pick up after their pets. The county's park regulations also prohibit staying on park land after a facility closes. In late fall it gets dark early, so plan an afternoon walk accordingly.
The boat launches are built, and the river around them is still on the county's list. At the opening, Union County Board of County Commissioners Chairman Joseph Bodek said clearing fallen trees and other debris from the river near the launches could be considered as a future project. He said that work would need environmental permits and specialized equipment that can operate along muddy riverbanks.
How the land became a park
The timeline explains why the park's neighbors are still adjusting to it. The land changed hands slowly, and the traditions on it ended a little at a time.
- 2019. Berkeley Caterers closed, and Mayor Angie Devanney began pushing for the county to acquire the property.
- October 2021. The county signed an agreement to buy the site for an anticipated $2.56 million from its Open Space Trust Fund.
- During the pandemic. Negotiations with the property owner and NJ Transit, which owned a small piece of the land, slowed down.
- 2022. Concerns about soil contamination and clean fill briefly put the purchase in doubt.
- 2024. Plans presented to the township showed playgrounds for children from 6 months to 12 years old, a fitness area, a 30-by-40-foot pavilion, a restroom building, a rubberized walking path, stormwater basins, and two ADA-accessible boat ramps. Because the site is on the river, it also needed state DEP permits for flood hazard areas, freshwater wetlands, and soil erosion.
- October 21, 2026. The park opened. The Union County Improvement Authority oversaw the $5.4 million project, which the county paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act money.
At the ceremony, Bodek estimated the project took five to six years from its initial stages. He also pointed out what waiting costs, telling TAPinto, "Every time you delay, it increases the cost," and gave asphalt as an example of a material whose price can double.
The crew that turned a former banquet property into a riverside park included MAST Construction as construction manager, RSC Architects as project architect, Remington & Vernick Engineers on engineering, and Z-Tech Contracting as general contractor.
For Devanney, the opening closed a loop. She is a former county open space administrator and helped develop the Snyder Avenue property elsewhere in town. TAPinto reported that she called it a "full circle moment." On the walking tour after the ribbon cutting, she noted that the property could have been developed for housing instead. "This is what you see instead of the other things that could have been there," she said.
The feast went home to River Road
Once the land became a county park, the feast that had filled it every summer needed another plan. In 2024, as the park plans moved forward, residents and Mount Carmel Society members raised concerns about what would happen to the tradition. This July, the Society held the feast on its own property, without rides.
The Society's calendar keeps going through the holidays at its home base, 56 River Road. Two dates are coming up:
- Saturday, November 7: Country Line Dancing with instruction, a cash bar, and free parking
- Sunday, December 6: Breakfast with Santa with a buffet breakfast, an optional photo with Santa, and a drive for new, unwrapped toys
Details are on the Mount Carmel Society events page.
New Year's Eve is the park's first test with the neighbors
The Society still owns land right next to the park, including the field where its school buses park. That field is where Berkeley Heights' New Year's Eve fireworks launch. This year, a playground sits next door to it.
On the township's October 6 agenda, Resolution 2026-311 would let Garden State Fireworks put on a display at Mount Carmel field at midnight on December 31, 2026. Councilman Bill Machado asked who would clean up debris that might land in the new park. As TAPinto reported on the council meeting, he put it this way:
"This is the first time we have a Union County park. The proximity of the fireworks — it's literally right next door."
The council voted unanimously to table the resolution until staff could find out who would handle cleanup. Officials also noted that the fire department reviews and signs off on every display and attends each one, as it has for years at events like the Winter Walk and the July 16th celebration.
The township council approved the fireworks at its October 20 meeting. In TAPinto's account of that meeting, Machado said Chris Santore of Garden State Fireworks had confirmed that the company would handle cleanup and move the launch area away from the park. "There was never a question that it wouldn't happen," Machado said. "My intention was just to make sure we protected our new park and got the answers we needed before moving forward." At the park's opening, Bodek gave the county's side in three words: "We'll work it out."
The midnight show is still on, and it will launch from a spot moved away from the playground. It's the first time a long-running Berkeley Heights tradition has had to work around the park.
Making it a longer loop along the Passaic
The new park is now the third Union County park in the area. The county lists Passaic River Park at 152 Springfield Ave., with nature trails, fishing, and soccer, serving Berkeley Heights, New Providence, and Summit. Snyder Avenue Park at 240 Snyder Ave. has baseball, a multipurpose field, a playground, and a splash pad, which will make more sense to visit when warm weather returns.
For a cold-weather afternoon, the river parks are the better choice. You can walk the mile of paths at Springfield Avenue Park and then follow the same road over to Passaic River Park's trails.
What could come next on the river
The river beside the boat launches is the part of the park with the most work still possible. Bodek said clearing debris near them could tie into a broader regional effort to deal with clogged waterways. In July, U.S. Rep. Tom Kean Jr. announced House funding meant partly to remove major obstructions from Passaic River tributaries in Berkeley Heights, Long Hill, New Providence, Summit, and Chatham Borough. TAPinto noted that the funding was still subject to further congressional action at the time. Bodek also said the state planned to speed up permits for less invasive stream cleanouts. Speaking at the October 20 council meeting, Councilman Alvaro Medeiros said Kean had confirmed the money is expected sometime in 2027.
MaryBeth Tomaro is always glad to talk about the places that make Union County towns feel like home. If you have questions about Berkeley Heights or nearby communities, schedule a free consultation and let's talk.
