Update: Sport Practices Temporarily Moving to New Neighborhoods

[Editor's note: Story updated at Tuesday, 5:15 p.m. to include information provided by BOE member Charlie Reilly.]

Residents living near Somerville, Travell, Kenilworth and Willard will be the new spectators to sport practices as the district begins cleanup of its badly-damaged high school fields.

The school board unanimously passed a resolution Monday night allowing generators to temporarily be placed at the above-mentioned four district fields until RHS Stadium and Stevens Field are repaired and cleared for use. The request was made by sport groups, Fields Committee liaison Charlie Reilly said.

"I don’t consider that the designation as alternate lighted fields of Brookside, Somerville and Pleasant applies to the action the Board took last night," he said in an e-mail Tuesday. He said those alternate lighted fights are intended for a period of time up to a year, whereas the "emergency" action taken Monday is intended for just a couple of weeks.

"If that period looks like it will be much longer, then the field policy language would come into play," he said in the e-mail. The same restrictions the flooded fields would comply with under the fields use policy would remain for the four new fields.

"The same restrictions apply with the lights," Reilly said. Practices can go until 9:00 p.m., not 10:00 p.m.

Both high school fields bordering the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook sustained heavy flood waters, turning each into a lake during Irene's fury on Sunday. Stadium Field has a rip in the turf on the right side of the field facing the high school, along with heavy sediment according to a status report given by Superintendent Dr. Daniel Fishbein Monday night. The surrounding fence had also collapsed.

Stevens also had damaged turf, though there was no word on any rips when Fishbein gave his damage report on Monday night. No cost projection has been made; no definitive time table on how long cleanup will take was offered either.

"They need a place to play," member Sheila Brogan said before casting her vote. Brogan wanted a courtesy letter sent to neighbors informing them of the decision, which will be drafted and dispersed according to school officials.

The Fields Use Policy, finalized and passed by the school board as well on Monday, allows the operators of facilities to temporarily place practices on alternate sites if its respective government body approves it by vote.

Hawes Field was requested as another field for temporary practices, but it's owned by the village, not the school board. The council has not provided a response to the sport groups request as of tuesday afternoon.

Village-owned fields remain like Vets and Maple remain closed until further notice.

According to the Fields Use Policy, any complaints about portable light location or direction should be made to the Director of Parks and Recreation, Tim Cronin, or The Supervisor of Wellness/Athletic Director of the schools, Nick Szerbo.

"They will visit the location within 1 business day and use reasonable efforts to resolve the problem. This information will be recorded and reviewed by the Field Committee," the policy states.