Debate Continues Over Mosle Field Lights For Mendham Township

MENDHAM, NJ — As the township's budget process continues, the recreation budget, which includes a plan to illuminate Mosle Field, is still sparking debate among residents about whether or not the project should be approved.

The updated version of the Mosle Athletic Field project includes a lighting proposal for $690,000 in upgrades to Mosle Fields, including new lighting on the football field, baseball field, and parking lot.

"It's important to note that this proposal could have been much bigger. We listened to the feedback that we got. Things were removed, and things were changed. Baseball is not happy about having light towers, but it is a compromise," Guida said.

Many residents have spent the last several meetings debating the project's potential approval, with much of the community divided on what the best option is.

Guida stated in the updated project proposal that the recreation committee has come up with two possible plans for the township to choose from.

The first option is to replace the football field's ten diesel-powered lights with four permanent 70-foot lights. This option also includes the purchase of four solar-powered light towers for the baseball fields and eight permanent parking lot lights.

The second option is to rent lights for the fields from September to November and again from April to June. The annual rental cost would be $163,253, as opposed to the $690,000 cost of purchasing the lights.

Some residents have cited concerns about the project proposal, ranging from potential negative environmental impacts to increased traffic and the financial implications for residents.

At last week's council meeting, resident Anthony Reitano addressed the cost of the projects, stating that the increased funding for facilities could lead to longer park hours.

"We are talking about spending this amount of money for a practice field for a football team. That seems pretty incredible. The application submitted by the Twin Boro in 2019 said they only wanted to use the field until 8 p.m., so already, 8:30 p.m. is an expansion of use. Our concern is that. They're not going to spend this kind of money to put lights up for practice. This is definitely going to result in an expansion of use," Reitano said.

On the other hand, several residents have spoken out about the fields' current "terrible condition," claiming that the lack of dugouts and poor lighting make it difficult and dangerous for children to play.

Local resident Dennis Tupper spoke about the dangers of not having adequate lights in and around the field.

"One night, we sent my father-in-law to pick my sons up, and the first thing he said to me was, 'A kid is going to get hit at this place.' It's way too dark. It's very dangerous, and anywhere else where we would have children, cars and darkness, would have been addressed and handled immediately," Tupper said.

Mosle Field is currently used by the Twin Boro Bears football and cheerleading program and the Mendham Chester Patriots baseball/softball program, which both serve over 500 youth athletes.

As the field is used by kids not only from Mendham Township but also from the borough and from the Chesters, other residents inquired about facilitating a conversation with the mayors in the other towns.

Resident Marta Longo stated that, while she agrees that youth sports require a safe and permanent home field, Mosle Field is a nature preserve, and the residents who live adjacent to the park have legitimate complaints and concerns about the project.

"The Twin Boro Bears is a multi-town issue. Can we make it into a multi-town solution? To see if there is something at least coming down the pipe that could fit perfectly for them. You know, maybe it's near a school or maybe it's near a field already," Longo said.

Mendham Township Mayor Nick Monaghan stated that the township committee will most likely need to hold a separate meeting to discuss the project further and to schedule a public hearing in the near future.

Amalia Duarte, a committee member, agreed, saying that perhaps a special meeting is in order so that the committee can devote a significant amount of time to hearing from the community and discussing the proposal among themselves.