These Union County residents will see ballot questions in November's election
Residents of two Union County towns will face ballot questions in November's general election.
Scotch Plains and Westfield officials are asking residents about appropriating millions of dollars for artificial turf fields in their respective municipalities.
Scotch Plains
Township voters will decide whether a bond ordinance authorizing the Township Council to appropriate $3.8 million to finance improvements to Brookside Park, most of which is intended for the baseball field and the installation of artificial turf, should be ratified.
Brookside Park, 1255 Hetfield Ave. features a baseball field, basketball courts, pavilion and picnic area, playground, pickleball courts, restrooms and walking trail. At 23.3 acres, it is the largest park in the municipal park system and one of the most popular.
In April the Township Council approved a bond ordinance to fund conceptual improvements at Brookside Park that were proposed by the community's Recreation Commission.
Improvements to the ballfield area, which measures about 2 acres, include dugouts, backstops, foul poles, a scoreboard, artificial turf, a portable pitching mound, upgrades to spectator seating and accessibility.
Other proposed improvements include safeguarding and connecting the half-mile nature trail by adding two new pedestrian footbridges with prefabricated steel truss; adding resurfaced, permanent pickleball courts and new basketball courts with striping and netting; repurposing the athletic field to accommodate a variety of youth sports in the outfield; landscaping improvements; drainage management to control flooding of the ballfield and adding a rain garden.
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A grassroots organization, Friends of Brookside Park, who are opposed to the installation of artificial turf, organized a petition signed by 2,050 registered township voters to put the bond ordinance on the ballot.
Opponents of the proposal cite the cost, environmental concerns and changes to the character of the park.
Westfield
Town voters will decide whether to authorize the action taken by the governing body to appropriate $11.8 million to fund the Edison School Multipurpose Fields Project, which consists of the installation of synthetic turf multipurpose athletic fields, drainage and site improvements, field lights and amenities and construction of bathrooms.
Mayor Shelley Brindle discussed the project at the Sept. 19 Town Council meeting, saying turf fields at the school, rather than other locations, makes the most sense and allows for exclusive use by Westfield teams because the property is not a New Jersey Green Acres facility subject to statewide use.
The mayor said the project serves as a first step to reduce the town’s field capacity deficit so that natural grass field upgrades can follow at other sites. She added the plan equally benefits town sports leagues and Westfield High School athletes and students.
Westfield Citizens for Responsible Athletic Field Development urges residents to vote against the project due to the high cost, concerns about the negative environmental and health impacts from plastic artificial fields and Edison School students losing the majority of their natural outdoor space.
According to the group's website, the initial cost of the project is $11.8 million and interest on the 15-year bonds will cost $3 to $4 million, and the artificial turf will need to be replaced in 8 to 10 years at of cost of $3 to $4 million.
The group also has concerns about heat, injuries and toxicity associated with turf fields.
Email: srussell@gannettnj.com
Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Union County NJ election questions
