Standstill: Holmdel's Turf Wars Resurrect Thorny Debate

HOLMDEL, NJ — Turf fields have long been a contentious topic in Holmdel. They've been the source of investigations, ignited heated debates, led to a lawsuit and cost former mayor Eric Hinds his seat.

The latest outcome: a standstill between members of the Township Committee over the approval of a capital improvement bond ordinance because it doesn't include funding for turf fields.

Committee members Tom Critelli and DJ Luccarelli want to add an extra $1,500,000 to fund a multipurpose turf field for children in town. They voted against the original $2.81 million bond ordinance in a meeting in July, preventing it from getting the necessary supermajority to pass (with a 3-2 vote).

"This is an area we feel strongly that should receive immediate attention by the Holmdel Township Committee, but it was left unaddressed in last month's proposed bond ordinance," the two said in a statement.

READ MORE: Road, Park Improvements Derailed Following Holmdel Committee Vote

It seems unlikely the ordinance being proposed by the two committee members (which would total $4,311,000) would be approved in the near future, as it is opposed by at least two others (Committeeman Prakash Santhana and Mayor Greg Buontempo), who cite lack of funds and the urgency of getting the original ordinance passed for everyday township needs as motives.

According to the agenda for next week's meeting, the same $2.81 million bond ordinance will be introduced.

"I believe our first responsibility is public safety, that being said it is important that we pave roads and provide for our first responders so they can protect our citizens, and I will not let Committeemen Critelli and Luccarelli hold these items hostage for any reason — especially millions in debt for unspecified recreation improvements," Mayor Greg Buontempo told Patch.

The ordinance brought to a vote last month would finance road improvements, police department locker rooms, public safety equipment and public facility improvements, among other items.

Former deputy mayor and committeewoman Carole Balmer accused Critelli and Luccarelli of holding the town hostage to youth sports, according to a statement sent to Patch.

"Long awaited essential every day Township needed safety and well being were once again held hostage by two Committeemen for the sake of non-essential spending on turf fields," Balmer said. "I am sure Committeemen Critelli and Lucarelli did not intend to place the Township residents and taxpayers at risk holding all essential needs hostage over a turf field."

However, Critelli and Luccarelli, said in a joint statement that the field was overdue and insisted on the urgency of their proposed recreational investments, in light of the impact COVID-19 had on kids in town.

"Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen – more than ever before – how important it is for our children to have every opportunity to live healthier lives," the two officials said. "Hundreds of games have been canceled due to poor field conditions after inclement weather - including this year, and the pleas of these residents have fallen on deaf ears."

The two committee members predict that 1,000 kids will benefit from a new field, representing one-third of the school district and 20 percent of households in town.

But committeeman Prakash Santhana told Patch that the town simply cannot afford the cost of a turf field right now.

"I'm not in favor of any proposal now to include a turf field in our capital appropriations simply because we don't have the revenues to support it," Santhana said. "The turf field will have to wait until we are certain that we will have additional revenues to support them."

Santhana said the town would be converting an additional $13 million in short-term debt to permanent debt in February 2022 and that the best time to evaluate if there are additional revenues to support a turf field would be after this.

Buontempo has not entirely rejected the idea of building a turf field but said that the ideas that have been put forward so far are not detailed enough, failing to specify a location, potential impacts and total cost, to name a few examples.

"I would be happy to consider another bond ordinance for recreation improvements that have been properly planned and vetted. At the end I want to ensure that we do it correctly," the mayor said.

Critelli told Patch he wants the specifics to be left up to the Recreational Advisory Committee, adding that wo possible locations would be the Holmdel Swim Club and across from Holmdel High School.

"They have some ideas on where it should go and I'm not proposing anything," Critelli said.

Buontempo also called back to the "2019 turf field scandal," when a $2.1 million expense was quietly added to a consent agenda for a turf field at the Holmdel Swim Club. Officials convened at a special meeting in August of that year to figure out who had approved that spending.

READ MORE: Holmdel Public Meeting Monday: Who Approved Turf Field Spending?

Around the same time, Holmdel Township Committeeman Rocco Pascucci brought up a $58,000 invoice he was stunned to find out about. Apparently, someone had ordered a study from longtime Holmdel Township engineer T&M Associates to look into the possibility of building turf fields at the Holmdel swim club.

Elected officials alleged that then-mayor Eric Hinds was at fault for the misdirection of the $2.1 million and he was formally censured by the Township Committee. Critelli was the only member to vote against the censure resolution.

Hinds also lost his bid for reelection the following month.

READ MORE: Holmdel Mayor Eric Hinds Censured Over $2.1M Turf Field Expense

This wasn't the first time a turf field caused tension in Holmdel. Back in 2016, the project for a turf field on Cross Farm Park sparked a heated debate in the community, even prompting a group of residents (calling themselves Preserve Holmdel) to sue the township.

In their attempt to prevent the field from being built, they filed a suit seeking to force Holmdel to hold a public vote on the $3.3 million bond the Township Committee had approved.

Hinds expressed his support for the project, saying this was the will of people in town. "I've gotten literally hundreds of emails over the years asking for turf and lights," he said.

The next Holmdel Township Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, with the public session starting at 7:3o p.m.