After concerns were raised about applying for a grant to install synthetic turf at Hockhockson Park, the Tinton Falls Borough Council voted to table the resolution to apply for funds.
The borough is seeking a grant for $250,000, with a 50 percent match, for a baseball/softball field. The borough would be responsible to pay the rest in order install the turf, according to Borough Engineer Thomas Neff.
The council held a public meeting to discuss applying for the Monmouth County Open Space grant on Sept. 5.
Council President Gary Baldwin said the council will now vote on the resolution to apply for the grant at its next meeting on Sept. 19.
The total project cost is around $626,000, which includes all the synthetic turf upgrades, all the drainage that is necessary to do it, the stone layers, the pipes, resetting the backstop, fencing, and other site improvements in the area, according to Neff.
Neff said that officials from the borough’s Little Leagues gave a presentation to the council asking it to consider installing synthetic turf.
“The project that we are proposing at this time [and] the main reasons for upgrading to synthetic turf is really to increase the usability of the field. There are many times when kids can’t play on the field after it rains, fields are shut down for days at a time sometimes, performances are cancelled, so by converting it into turf you would be able to use it right after a rain event, it drains right away so you would increase usability of it greatly and it helps prepare kids for college careers – a lot of colleges are switching over to turf so there seems to be a lot of support for this,” Neff said.
The due date to apply for the grant is Sept. 20, according to Neff.
Resident Denise Catalano expressed concerns about the cost of having to replace the top layer of the turf every 10 years and that the grant could instead be used for another project for the borough.
“I’ve been doing sports all of my life. I have never played on artificial turf, but it just does not make sense to me to be spending $600,000. Now, I understand that there is a grant and we are going to pay half of that which would be $300,000 – that is still a lot of money for one baseball field,” Catalano said.
According to Neff, only the top layer of the synthetic turf would have to a replaced every 10 years and would cost about $200,000 to replace.
Councilwoman Nancyanne Fama also expressed concerns about the cost of the turf and said, “I am wondering if the money would be better spent fixing the natural field than installing an artificial turf.”
Councilman Christopher Pak said that installing the synthetic turf “is something that a portion of our taxpayers are requesting and there are some benefits to it, but does the benefit outweigh the cost of [us] spending taxpayers money [and] open space money? There are some good projects that could come about and it’s very difficult right now because we have to make a commit by a certain date.”
After Councilman John Manginelli and Council President Gary Baldwin also expressed concerns about installing the turf, the council voted to remove the resolution authorizing the borough to apply for the grant from the council agenda.
In other news, the Borough Council approved and adopted an ordinance prohibiting parking on a portion of Springdale Avenue. Concerns have been raised over reoccurring parking issues between Apple and Peach streets being used by local commercial establishments that prevent sufficient access for emergency vehicles into the neighborhood and the police department, according to the council agenda.
The ordinance will be implemented 21 days from the time it was adopted. Signs will be placed along Springdale Avenue, according to Baldwin.
In addition, since mold was discovered in the Tinton Falls Public Library’s trailer area in one office space and basement, the library has been closed since Aug. 16, according to Borough Administrator Elizabeth Perez.
The township has met with five remediation specialist companies and has received five estimates for services, she said.
“Once we pick a company and discuss a work schedule we will give a date as to when the library will be reopened. … We want the library to be open, but we also want it to be safe,” she said.
For more information, visit www.tintonfalls.com/Agendas–Minutes.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
