EVESHAM - The Township Council has commissioned a new conceptual design for a planned recreational complex at the former site of the Aero Haven airport on Kettle Run Road.

The design would be scaled back from a preliminary plan unveiled in March that included 18 fields, more than 1,000 parking spaces and an indoor gymnasium.

On Tuesday, the council asked Township Manager Florence Ricci to have a new conceptual design drawn up.

Councilman Bill Macready said the new design would cover about 30 acres of the 212-acre site and will include eight all-purpose fields, two baseball diamonds, two tot lots, a pole barn for equipment, a concession stand with bathrooms and a parking lot.

The 30-acre plan favored by the council is half the size of the 60-acre complex proposal recommended by members of the Aero Haven Park Advisory Committee.

Under the council's plan, nature and jogging trails would surround the township-owned complex and connect to the adjacent 690-acre King's Grant Phase II property, which will remain in its natural state.

The township recently purchased the King's Grant land for more than $4 million from the Evesham Municipal Utilities Authority. As part of the sales agreement, the MUA will build recharge basins on the Aero Haven site.

"I feel we're moving forward," Macready said. "I think this is a plan we can all live with."

However, Mayor Gus Tamburro said he wants to see more information before the council even decides whether to develop the site, much less design a new plan.

"I don't have enough information to move ahead with this," he said. "I think we need a needs assessments and more environmental studies. In light of the recent environmental information, it may be that no plan can be developed there. I'm not committed to that site."

Tamburro was referring to a report this week that material containing asbestos was found at the site in December.

Macready said the township would look into the environmental and financial impact of the plan as it considers what to develop on the Aero Haven site.

He said an environmental impact study would be undertaken using the specifics of the new plan. That study would also take into consideration the asbestos report.

"It's cause for concern, but I don't look at as a huge setback," Macready said. "It's an opportunity to do further cleanup if necessary."