County Executive Unveils Big Cat Zoo Plans

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. shared details of a proposed $3 million expansion of the Turtle Back Zoo Wednesday with the West Orange Planning Board.

The county executive has described the big cat and elk exhibit and aerial obstacle course as "a beautiful exhibit." "It will be a great feature and people will love it because our exhibits are first class," he said.

The three projects are part of Turtle Back Zoo's $3 million eastward expansion that is scheduled to be completed in 2012.

Mike Piga, of French and Parrello, a landscape architecture firm in Wall, one of the project's architects, walked the board through preliminary plans during an hour-and-a-half courtesy review. The county does not need board approval to proceed.

"The goal is to add to visitors' experience," he told the board.

The cat exhibit, known as "Big Cat Country Complex," will feature cougars and jaguars in mesh netting and glass enclosures on display for the zoo's visitors.

The exhibit also will include a hot rock for the animals, eight holding cages, safety mirrors and a seating area. The exhibit will be a Southwest Mine theme, according to Turtle Back Zoo Director Dr. Jeremy Goodman.

"Cougars and jaguars (in the Southwest) is the one area where they coexist in the United States," he said. "This was part of our North American master plan, so we wanted to theme it for that section of the country."

Goodman said certain elements accentuate the Southwest theme, such as mines, adobe and cacti landscaping. "We want to try to give everyone the feel that they're in the animal's habitat," he said.

The aerial adventure course includes zip lines, a suspension bridge and a sales shed. Those two parts of the project are slated to break ground in April and open in September.

The elk exhibit, which will include four elks, is slated to open sometime in 2012.

The planning board's biggest concern with the project  was with its bathrooms. The plan calls for an adobe-themed restroom facility that will accommodate zoo-goers without having to leave the exhibit.

Some board members argued that the bathroom plan may not be up to health code based off of the current plans. Member Jerry Eben said that the six stalls and two urinals may not be enough to accommodate daily zoo attendance.

DiVincenzo said that the county follows all guidelines and that the bathrooms provided will be adequate.

Piga and DiVincenzo also answered questions about the aerial course and its close proximity to Northfield Avenue.

Goodman said there will be platforms on each tree and various elements will be attached to certain trees that will allow participants to climb, walk and learn about the environment.

Piga said roughly 52 trees will be torn down in the process, but will be replaced. "We won't harm trees or plants," he told the board. "We want to enhance and use the trees to exercise children and add to visitors' experience."

DiVincenzo said the course will bring in roughly $325,000 in revenue each year since it will operate independently from the zoo.

"You can take advantage of Turtle Back Zoo and the zip line," he said. "If you want to just go to the zip line, there's one entrance to go in for that." He also said once the project is complete, the aerial course and the already-built carousel will stay open at night when the zoo closes.

West Orange resident Michele Sutton said her concern with the project is traffic. She said she witnesses too many illegal turns on Northfield Avenue and the zoo's expansions unlikely won't help the problem.

DiVincenzo said traffic is not a concern. "We have 24-hour security there and anytime we have any big events — days or nights — we have additional police there from the Sheriff's Office," he said. "I think we do a pretty good job there."

He also said parking won't be a problem with the zoo's lots and the additional parking lot constructed last year was part of the county's Safari miniGOLF.

DiVincenzo said the new plans are part of a $4.8 million expansion to the 36-acre South Mountain Recreation Complex renovation, which includes Turtle Back Zoo, Richard J. Codey Arena, a three-story Park N Ride facility, a 300-space surface parking lot, which was built in conjunction with miniGOLF Safari, and a soon-to-be-built boathouse. 

He said the $3 million will be paid for through capital dollars that were allocated for the project and through Open Space grants.