Board weighs turf vs. grass for Veterans Park, consultants to revise plans

Consultants Jim Welsh and Ryan Goodstein outlined a redesign for Veterans Park focused on the main field surface and associated amenities. Mayor Adam MacNeill said he "doesn’t see a way around not having turf on the main field. The heat really is not an issue." The presentation cited studies by Montclair, Cornell and the NJDEP on synthetic turf performance and impacts.

Commissioner John H. Anlian asked about the useful life of artificial turf and was told it is "8 to 10 years depending on the maintenance," and he raised disposal cost concerns at end of life. Commissioner William G. Gerken described a 'pivot turf' option "that does not use infill. It is cooler and there are no environmental issues," and noted a 12-year warranty on that product. DPW Superintendent Rich Flynn cautioned that because the field sits in a flood zone he was concerned about the turf "buckling," how long repairs would take and the resulting downtime; he also noted current scheduling conflicts with high school varsity baseball and softball teams.

Commissioners discussed additional park elements including an equipment garage, parking, playground area, fitness equipment, a volleyball court, bike-path widening and the pool. The Village will inventory existing park assets and MKW will revise its plans to reflect the inventory and the Commission's concerns.