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Coaches hope for new turf
(by Megan Burrow - February 06, 2008)
A committee of coaches and recreation officials representing the
Township of
Washington ’s various sports programs has been lobbying the council for an upgrade to the township’s playing fields, which it claims are run down and in need of a drastic overhaul.
The committee was formed shortly after the re-organization meeting at the beginning of the year to examine the fields in town and make a determination on what needs to be done to improve the current situation. It presented its findings at the Jan. 28 council meeting and asked the council to hire a grant writer to move forward and obtain the money necessary to make the suggested improvements.
The council plans to interview several grant writers at the Feb. 11 council meeting during closed session. Because grants and funding tend to dry up quickly, typically in April or May, the committee is hoping the council acts swiftly on the issue and makes a hiring decision soon after the interviews. “Time is of the essence,” commented Margaret Kossel, committee member and Superintendent of Recreation.
While the committee would like to improve all of the town’s fields, for now it is focusing its attention on Memorial Field. The town’s busiest field, Memorial is the only playing field with lights for night games. Each year from May to November the field hosts baseball, softball, football, soccer, and a summer recreation program.
In its current state, committee member and football coach Scott Spezial, said, Memorial Field, the “major artery” of the town’s sports programs, simply “can’t take the punishment.” Repairing the damage each year from overuse is costly and often cuts into the baseball and softball season, the committee reported.
Ideally, the committee would like to convert Memorial Field to artificial turf, which would enable leagues to make use of the field year-round. “We would literally have 365 days a year usage, barring weather,” said Kossel. “There wouldn’t be any scheduling issues, and it would be a true multipurpose field.”
The committee argued that the town has spent $275,000 in the past five years on basic upkeep of Memorial field, laying down new grass, fertilizing, and reseeding, and yet its overuse leaves it in poor condition year after year.
“There are sinkholes, rocks, rats, the field house is falling down, there are water problems, the fences are broken and torn,” Spezial said. “It has become unsafe for certain sports. You can’t just drive by with your eyes closed any more.”
The committee’s plans offer something for everybody, said Spezial. In addition to new fields and facilities, the committee would like to install a senior walking track and bocce court. “It would be a huge facelift for the town,” said Spezial. “The park would be better looking and would increase property values.”
Many council members agree the fields in town are due for a makeover, but not everyone agrees on how drastic the changes should be, or how much taxpayer money should be spent on such a project. The artificial turf alone would likely cost at least $1 million, and additional projects the committee is pursuing – new baseball fields, a roller hockey rink, field house, a senior walking track, and bocce court – would all come at additional cost.
Mayor Rudolph Wenzel gave the committee his blessing to pursue a grant writer but added, “I don’t think we should move pell-mell to spend a million dollars.” Wenzel also raised the issue of the $12,000 sprinkler system the new turf would cover up. Council President Joseph Giardina echoed the need for moving ahead with care. “Ten percent of the budget would be for this one project. It’s not going to go ahead without a thorough investigation.”
As an alternative, Wenzel suggested a joint project between the municipality and
Westwood
Regional
High School to upgrade the high school’s playing fields for students and
Washington
Township ’s municipal sports programs to use. The second field would ease the strain on Memorial and allow it more time to recover after it is used, Wenzel argued.
The committee is concerned that sharing the high school field would give the sports programs limited access to the facilities and would not address its needs. According to Spezial, the number of people participating in the town’s sports and recreation programs is “swelling.” A new lacrosse program has recently been approved to start later this year.
Megan Burrow's e-mail address is burrow@northjersey.com.
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