Shade Tree Commission warns Willowfield ballfield plan would remove mature trees and risk floodway

The Shade Tree Commission told the Pompton Lakes Borough Council it strongly opposes the proposed Willowfield project, which the commission said would place a ballfield and walking track inside the borough’s floodway and remove as many as 75–100 mature trees.

At the Dec. 12 meeting Councilwoman (reading) placed the commission’s advisory letter into the public record. The letter warned the project’s location in the floodway "is alarming" and argued that additional infrastructure could increase flood risk to surrounding properties. The commission also said that replacing mature trees with roughly 1,900 smaller plantings would not restore the same flood-mitigation, habitat, air-quality and aesthetic benefits that mature canopy provides.

The Shade Tree Commission urged the council to explore alternate locations or designs and to prioritize preservation of the existing tree canopy. The letter was read aloud and the commission’s signatories named in the record as the commission chair (Inteccinelli), co-chair Randy Hinton, treasurer Pete Alterri, secretary Madeline Denti and grant assistant Alexa Reed.

Council members acknowledged the environmental concerns and noted that the Willowfield site had required DEP permitting that included a waiver based on hardship for the proposed recreation project; council members said engineers and the flood advisory board will need to ensure any restoration required by the permit is done properly. Councilwoman Kent and others emphasized the need for durable plantings and proper engineering so newly planted trees will mature and contribute to flood resilience.

No final decision on Willowfield’s design or funding was made at the meeting; council members said the project had been discussed at open-space meetings and would require continued review of permits, engineering details and potential alternative approaches.