Neighbors Applaud Council Decision to Kill Field Use Policy

The controversial Fields Use policy is back to square one after the Ridgewood Village Council put a halt to the move, which would have allowed use of the fields to 10 p.m. on weekend nights as well as a solid chunk of the summer.

The policy revision, a document that regulates use and conditions of activity for the fields, needed passage by both the school board and the village council.

The council, however, sympathized with the plight of neighbors of the fields in voting down the resolution. Neighbors have remarked parking problems, noise, trash, safety and an intolerable amount of light shining into their homes has shrunk the value of their property and severely detracted from their quality of life.

"When this council makes a decision it does so based on the concerns of every resident," Mayor Keith Killion said in a telephone conversation Friday.

Councilman Paul Aronsohn added similar thoughts, remarking Friday that "deference" needs to be shown for homeowners. "They deserve it," he said.

A few months prior,  the council told the Fields Committee that it had "major concerns" with the proposed policy, mostly with Stevens Field being lit past 9 p.m.

In its resolution the council recommended that the policy reflect that noise complaints be dealt with by the Fields Committee, as well as reported to the village council and school board liaisons. The council also recommended that RHS Stadium games have a specific number of dates on Friday and Saturday nights where the lights will not be on until 10:00 p.m.

The stance was further cemented by the council's position on "lights out" times at Stevens Field, where it unequivocally stated that games should never go past 9:00 p.m. On Veterans Field, the council suggested wording reflect that games end at 9:45 p.m. and 'lights out' be 10:00 p.m. Further, it asked for greater control over the process of alternate lighting by stipulating the council or school board must approve the measure depending on which entity owns the field.

Neighbors have lambasted the quashed policy, remarking that the Fields Committee was "stacked" in favor of sports groups, who all favored later use times to accommodate for what they called a troubling state of too much and too little.

Put simply, there are too many participants and not enough fields, Fields Committee members said. While members of the Fields Committee–a collection of sport groups, village and school officials and 'at-large' residents–said allowing Stevens and Stadium Field to be lit and used until 10 p.m. several nights a week, it by no means would "solve" the problem, it would be a positive step. They pointed to principles of utilitarianism "the greater good" and cited the 2006 Master Plan, which recommended a greater emphasis on revitalizing fields and getting more use for residents.

Councilwoman Bernadette Walsh, the liaison to the Fields Committee, said the council is currently reviewing the criteria it uses in determining its "at large" representative. The current member, Jeff Gluck, will see his term end in July.

Jim Morgan, who's been the spokesman for the Ridgewood High School Neighborhood Association, said the Fields Committee would be wise to include a greater cross-section of the community, as it was his belief that the deck was stacked in favor of sports group interest, particularly in the selection of the "at large" members. Both "at large" members are active in youth sports.

The council vote was unanimous Wednesday night though Walsh abstained. The councilwoman said Friday in a telephone interview that she abstained because she "truly felt strongly in both directions," and believed there was "a conflict" with her vote as a result. Walsh said she supported a few nights being allowed until 10 p.m. at Stevens Field but did not agree with all of the document's proposals.

Resident Ron Verdicchio addressed the council on Wednesday during public commenting. And he was not in favor of late night lights. Verdicchio said he objected to the policy on the grounds that the school board was encouraging kids to be out late, later than a time he felt was appropriate.

"That they should continue to advance a policy that would keep young children out on school nights until 9:30, 10 o'clock at night, I don't know how the Board of Education can support a policy like that," Verdicchio said.

Neighbor Tom Kossoff was effusive in his praise for the council's decision while condemning the school board for its role in this saga.

In an e-mail addressed to both bodies as well as local media, Kossoff wrote, "The BOE could certainly learn many lessons from you [the council]. When the BOE shows us they really care about the neighborhood and our concerns which are very real, then this whole issue will be resolved."

He continued: "If they continue to treat our needs as second fiddle to what they want, this will continue on. Hopefully this wakes up the BOE."

Should the Fields Committee take the council's recommendations, it would have to be sent back to the school board for approval and again to the council for its final decision.

The Field Committee next meets in early June and does not meet afterward over the summer. "Hopefully they make changes and vote on the policy," Walsh said.

Member of the Fields Committee Paul Sheridan, of the Ridgewood Lacrosse Association, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Ed Seavers, of the RBSA and head of scheduling, was also not immediately available for comment.