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Residents urge council to reconsider artificial turf at Shedler, citing safety and health worries
Summary
Multiple Ridgewood residents told the council they are apprehensive about proposed artificial turf at Shedler, raising safety concerns because the field sits close to a busy highway and citing environmental and health worries including microplastics and PFAS.
Several Ridgewood residents used the public-comment period at the June 24 special meeting to press the council to reconsider plans for artificial turf at Shedler.
Ann (a Ridgewood resident) told the council, “Please reconsider number one having artificial turf at Shedler. And please consider making it a park and not a sports arena. It is beyond dangerous to have children playing on a field just feet away from a busy highway.” She said the mayor previously called grass “a no-brainer” during a campaign and urged the governing body to change course if necessary.
John Fry (North Irving Street) said he will share a study from Montlair State University that compares grass and artificial turf on environmental effects, safety and a cost analysis projected through 2050, and asked the council to produce a plain-language pro/con comparison for neighbors.
Cynthia O’Keefe (Ridgewood resident) criticized turf on environmental-health grounds, saying older turf fields can produce lead dust, are difficult to recycle and shed microplastics. She stated that “we know there’s PFAS, other forever chemicals,” and warned about potential impacts to nearby private wells and neighborhood air quality.
Council members did not take an immediate vote; the remarks were made during public comment. In response to public questions elsewhere in the meeting about timelines and mitigation, the manager (Keith) said staff will provide the council with the Montlair report and will review possible edits to the village code and public materials. He also referenced ongoing remediation and programming at the Shedler House, where permitting from the state Department of Environmental Protection has recently been issued.
What happens next: Residents asked the council for a clearer comparison of turf versus grass options and for public-facing materials explaining safety, environmental and cost tradeoffs. The council did not adopt any new policy or change at the June 24 meeting; future steps were described as staff review and information-sharing with the governing body.
