Thousands 'do not want plastic grass' at park in Scotch Plains
SCOTCH PLAINS – A grassroots citizens group has submitted to the township asking that a proposal to install an artificial turf field at Brookside Park be placed before township voters to decide.
Members of the Friends of Brookside Park have submitted petitions signed by 2,050 registered township voters to put a $3.8 million bond ordinance to fund the changes at the park on a referendum.
The Township Council voted 4-1 on April 18 to adopt the bond ordinance.
The Friends of Brookside Park are opposed to the installation of artificial turf at the park on Hetfield Avenue because “thousands of people in our town do not want plastic grass at Brookside Park," said Fran Wagner, one of the organizers of the petition drive.
The township clerk is now verifying the signatures on the petition, said Mayor Josh Losardo.
"I very much appreciate residents weighing in, as we work together to enhance Brookside Park," Losardo said. "The township clerk is now working to verify that the requisite number of qualified signatures on the petition are valid. If that happens, we can discuss next steps, including the costs to the township to conduct a special election, estimated at about $100,000."
The number of signatures required for a referendum is 1,408. In all, there are 19,731 registered voters in Scotch Plains.
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Opponents of the proposal cite the cost, environmental concerns and changes to the character of the park.
Kirk Barrett, president of the Rahway River Watershed Association, wrote a letter to the Township Council, saying the field may exacerbate flooding in the watershed and may pollute a nearby stream with "plastic microparticles from the synthetic grass blades along with a host of other chemicals."
Sarah Evans, an assistant professor of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Children’s Environmental Health Center of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, also wrote to the Township Council that the artificial turf field has "the potential for dangerous heat and chemical exposures."
“Laying a carpet of plastic at the heart of the park would irrevocably change the unique natural character of the park for future generations,” said Susan Dazzo, another organizer of the petition drive.
In neighboring Westfield, neighbors unsuccessfully opposed a proposal last year to install artificial turf fields at Edison Intermediate School.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Scotch Plains NJ residents oppose Brookside Park turf field
