Multi-Million Dollar Upgrade Planned at Teaneck Fields

Teaneck’s flood-plagued playing fields often described by residents as a town embarrassment are set to undergo a multi-million dollar upgrade after the town council signed off on contracts for the project this week.

In a unanimous vote, the council approved a contract with Hackensack-based Dakota Excavating Contractor Inc. to install artificial turf on Votee Park’s two main soccer fields and work on drainage improvements for the fields. Dakota submitted the lowest bid for the work at $2.8 million.

The council also approved alternates including, field lighting, bleachers, scoreboards, markings for the scoreboards and a “press box,” adding $583,000 to the project.  The work is not to exceed $3.06 million.

In addition, Butler-based Crew Engineering was awarded a $54,000 contract to manage the project.

Residents react 

Coaches and players turned out at Tuesday’s meeting to express support for what they said were much-needed improvements at Teaneck’s largest developed park. Officials have worked for years to address drainage issues, but the fields continually washout in even moderate rainfall.

“When we play other towns they come and they make remarks about the poor condition of the fields and that’s not a good way to represent our town,” Teaneck Stingrays soccer player Eleanor Quinn told the council. "It's dangerous to play on and it's also not fair to us as players.”

Teams from other towns have refused to play on the park’s muddy fields, said Teaneck Junior Soccer League President Bill Burke. At least a 1,000 children use the fields, many two or three times per week.

"I don't know of another field in this town that has this many residents playing on it," Burke said. "That's why we need to do something; because at this point and for the last several years, the field has not been adequate nor is it safe for our children."

Jim Dunleavy, TOPSoccer director, said the new fields would help reduce player injuries and could be used to bring in revenue. The space could also be used for other sports and events, he added.

Some residents, however, expressed concern over the cost of the project and called the additions extravagant.

"New fields are needed, but that does not constitute a blank check," said Alan Sohn, a resident whose children have played soccer at the fields.

Howard Rose said he didn’t dispute the fields needed improvement, but worried the township was being “a little too indulgent” with the project.

“We all know, I don’t think there’s any disagreement, that it’s a travesty having a mud swamp for children to play in and you need remediate that,” he said.

Another resident, Naomi Cramer, agreed the fields were in poor condition, but said he worried how the project was being handled.

“I think that everybody wants the soccer fields done. It’s just that people want to be sure that it’s done properly,” she told council members.

Deputy Mayor Adam Gussen defended the project, noting that many of the more add-ons were standard at athletic facilities. The “press box” would be used to help oversee the multiple fields and games.

"This is not some fancy bell and whistle that is just for self-aggrandizement,” Gussen said. “This is the type of project, in whole, that Teaneck deserves. Its kids, its coaches, its leagues, it's the town as a whole. This is something that I think is long overdue."

George Jenkins, of the Teaneck Junior Football League, said he supported the upgrades and urged the township to ensure the league would have equal access to the new turf fields.

“This all-purpose field in Votee Park is not a soccer field,” he said. “It’s an all-purpose field. It’s a facility that should be available to all of the taxpayers in all sectors of the town.”

Contamination, funding  

A plan to build the turf fields was sidelined in 2011 when the township discovered soil contamination in the park. The park was temporarily closed, but a health department review later found no health risks and the town’s remediation plan was recently approved by the state.

In February, Teaneck approved a $4.2 million bond ordinance for the project, but officials have said they hope to not have to borrow for the upgrades. The township plans to use $2.175 million from the Open Space Trust Fund. The state's Green Acres Program will provide $621,250, another $128,750 will come from a Green Acres loan and $184,708 from county open space funds. 

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