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Resident urges board to oppose AstroTurf on White Rock ball fields, citing ecological concerns
Summary
A White Rock resident told the Environmental Sustainability Board the proposed installation of AstroTurf on several ball fields would remove acres of grass that capture carbon and provide ecological benefits, and urged the board to oppose the plan or require stronger justification.
Mike Dempsey, a White Rock resident, used the public-comment period on May 15 to urge the Environmental Sustainability Board to oppose planned AstroTurf installations on three White Rock ball fields. "It's non ecological to put AstroTurf in in place of real grass," Dempsey said, arguing the grass area converts carbon dioxide to oxygen and enriches soil.
Dempsey said the proposed conversion would affect "four or five acres of grass" in White Rock and singled out Dara Field and a Little League field at Overlook Park as areas of concern. He questioned the stated justification — allowing teams to start practice earlier — and said alternatives should be considered. "I don't want AstroTurf in White Rock," he said.
Why it matters: The comment raised environmental and community-quality concerns over a local parks project that would replace natural turf with synthetic surfacing. The board did not take action on the topic at this meeting; Dempsey said he planned to attend a separate meeting on the AstroTurf proposal.
Ending: Dempsey concluded his three-minute public comment by noting he would attend the subsequent meeting on the AstroTurf plan. No county staff response or board action on the turf plan occurred during the ESB meeting.
