More Talk Expected on Turf Field, Solar Farm This Week

This week has plenty of summer activities underway in Bernardsville and Bedminster, with municipal camps in full swing — and the new Somerset Hills Education Foundation summer enrichment program due to start on Monday —  but there also are some important meetings that lie ahead.

The Bernardsville Borough Council is scheduled to meet starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, and the topic of whether to place a ballot question asking voters to approve a turf field on the Upper Polo grounds has been coming up at several consecutive meetings. The council must make a decision by August whether to ask voters to approve more than $1 million to place a multi-purpose turf field over an existing grass field at the borough-owned property off Seney Drive.

Borough council members have said the money will come from the borough's open space tax, which has 20 percent set aside for development of recreational facilities.

But the borough Environmental Commission held a special meeting last week at which commission members raised the question of whether as much money as council members calculate truly is available. 

The commission also approved a resolution affirming that its members unanimously would oppose use of more than the allotted 20 percent of open space funds for field development.

Commission members said they intend to to show up at Monday's council meeting to present their position.

Another much-discussed issue in Bedminster, the proposed KDC solar project, or "solar farm," is on the Bedminster Land Use Board's agenda for this Thursday, with the meeting scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

The citizens group, Stop the Bedminster Solar Power Plant, is calling upon residents to attend Thursday's meeting to express their concerns.

Meanwhile, the Bernardsville Environmental Commission is scheduled to meet again this Wednesday at borough hall at 7 p.m. The borough's recreation committee is scheduled to meet at Tuesday at 7 p.m.; and the Planning Board is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday. All meetings are scheduled at borough hall at 166 Mine Brook Road.

The Bedminster Township Open Space Commission is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. All Bedminster meetings are scheduled to be held at the municipal building at 1 Miller Lane in Bedminster.

The SHEF Academy for summer enrichment, which debuts this year, has courses available for all levels of school ages, from elementary through high school. Students from other area schools may attend. Information is on the SHEF website.