the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood is not the only town to engage in a heated dispute over plans to install artificial turf on an athletic field .
A heated dispute over plans to install artificial turf on an athletic field in Montclair has become the latest focal point in the escalating concerns, both locally and across the Hudson River, regarding the environmental and health impacts of this material. Critics argue that artificial grass contributes to heat islands, and express concern over the potential toxicity of the “crumb rubber” used in the subsurface. Conversely, proponents of turf argue that it necessitates less upkeep and is gentler on the bodies of young athletes.
However, the discussion surrounding the proposal for an $8 million synthetic turf varsity baseball field, complete with batting cages, bullpens, and more, at Woodman Field has reached an unusual level of contention.
“They’re stripping away the ‘garden’ from the Garden State, everywhere,” remarked Montclair resident Anna Grossman. “And we are bearing the consequences with our health and our tax dollars.”
Opponents of the project have joined forces with advocates from neighboring communities who are fighting their own battles against artificial turf. In response, the Board of Education, leading the renovation efforts, has filed a lawsuit in an attempt to uphold the project approvals, slated for completion this spring. Despite inquiries, the board did not provide a response, leading critics to perceive it as an effort to push through the project despite widespread opposition.
“In a town, in a state where we pride ourselves on our environmental consciousness, this is a travesty occurring in Montclair, N.J.,” lamented Allison Sargent, a resident living across the street from the field for over 70 years.
Residents from six neighboring communities, each embroiled in their own anti-turf campaigns, have also become entangled in the Woodman Field debate. The situation has become so contentious that Westfield resident Jean Lehmberg described feeling targeted whenever she ventures to the grocery store.
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The snake-oil salesman who first talked our misguided officials into replacing grass with plastic made it clear that the stuff was to be called synthetic, not artificial, turf. He bristled at that.
Siobahn has been meeting with the turf vendors and is pushing for this hard to be installed at the newly proposed field. Rumor has it her husband has been wanting to start a soccer team, so this would be important. Other than that, I am pretty sure she is a supporter of all of Ridgewood’s sports groups and wears many hats (literally) and has said in the past, this is more important than the health of residents…Cherry picking of course but in essence that was her sentiment.
The elevator doesn’t make it to the top floor…
“ a resident living across the street from the field for over 70 years.”. That explains it.
That Montclair resident actually loved living across from the field. What the BOE did to that property is borderline criminal, and ignored having contaminated soil investigated (similar to Ridgewood’s current pickle with the NJDEP and potentially contaminated soil dumped on the Schedler property), and many more issues with the rush to build the field. The residents there were concerned about the trees being cut down-100 year oaks, and there not being any shade trees and a totally turfed field which creates a high heat situation for those playing on it as well as the toxicity of PFAS and potential groundwater contamination
Learn from Ridgewood’s mistakes. Stay away from artificial turf.