EAST BRUNSWICK — Plans to install a multiuse playing field for special-needs athletes may progress more rapidly than expected due to another hefty donation from Middlesex County.

The Board of Chosen Freeholders recently approved an additional $500,000 in county funds designated for the new field and other improvements.

“The extra funds will help significantly in moving this project along,” said Mayor David Stahl, who attended the county hearing in February and thanked the board on behalf of East Brunswick.

In early 2008, the county pledged $1.5 million for the Heavenly Farms project, and officials believed that would be enough to cover all or most of the project costs. However, Stahl said the synthetic field, bathrooms and associated facilities would actually cost closer to $2.5 million, leaving the township with a $1 million shortfall.

The engineering work for the field, which would be used for sports programs such as Buddy Ball and would be open to the residents of other towns as well, has already been completed, though Stahl said the process took longer than expected.

“We set the bar much too high for the project to be done in six months [as originally projected]. There were many procedural steps to consider, and we had to abide by government rules,” he had said. “Coupled with a higher cost, unrealistic expectations had been set.”

Due to the delay, some residents have been unconvinced that the project will ever be accomplished.

Stahl, however, said their concerns were misguided.

“There’s a small group that thinks this project is not going to come to fruition,” he had said. “That’s anything but the truth. I’ve informed the public of the timetable, and we’re moving forward as best we can.”

Stahl met with county officials in early January to try to work out a deal to get the outstanding $1 million balance of the project funded, and an agreement was then drafted to go before the freeholders.

While a $500,000 balance still exists, Stahl is confident that the money from the county will allow the township to move ahead with several aspects of the project. He noted that the funds will primarily be used for extra parking and lighting.

“It’s important to increase the parking area and provide for a realistic parking situation,” the mayor said. “We also needed to ensure that athletes have a safe field in addition to adequate access to that field. The county agreed that it needs to be lit.”

Stahl said the heaviest use of the field during the school year would be in the evening. During the summer, lighting is not an issue, he said, but from October to March, when the sun sets earlier, lights are critical for the ability to play.

“If we’re going to invest, we’re going to get the most efficient use of the field,” he said.

Stahl emphasized that the field would be available not only to special-needs athletes but to the entire community, including recreation groups aside from Buddy Ball.

“It would be foolish to let the field remain idle at any time,” the mayor noted.

Stahl said the township submitted plans to the county for septic facilities that will serve the comfort area, the plans for which have recently been revised. He said architectural work pertaining to the comfort area is under way and will be completed soon.

“We hope to get the preliminary work done in the next couple of months so we can go out to bid,” Stahl said. “If all goes well, we plan to construct over the summer.”

The Township Council was to vote on resolutions authorizing the use of the $500,000 grant, as well as the previous $1.5 million donation, on March 8.