Crucial Decision On Turf Project Made At Westfield Council Meeting

WESTFIELD, NJ — Tensions were high at Wednesday night's Westfield Town Council meeting, as residents awaited a crucial vote on the Edison Fields artificial turf project that has been a contested issue for many months.

After a lengthy public comment session, the council voted 7-2 to approve a shared services agreement between the town and the Board of Education. This means the town is one step closer to building $9 million worth of turf fields at Edison Intermediate School.

Council members David Contract and Mark LoGrippo were the two opposing votes, whereas members Scott Katz, Dawn Mackey, Linda Habgood, Emily Root, Michael Dardia, Mark Parmalee and Mayor Shelley Brindle all voted in favor of the project.

Last week, Brindle shared numerous reasons why she is in support of the project in a letter to the editor.

Read more: Controversial Westfield Turf Project To Be Voted On At Next Meeting

"There's a reason why this hasn't been solved for 20 years," Brindle said. "It is not a politically expedient or necessarily easy decision to make. The easy decision to make is to do nothing."

All of the Town Council members agreed that there is a field deficit in Westfield and that student athletes are in need of better fields that allow for more playing time.

But Councilman Contract said "picking the first shiny object that comes in front [the council] is not always the right path to take."

Contract criticized CME Associate's field assessment, arguing that the cost estimates of the field are "ridiculously wrong."

He said CME assumed one cost of the fields for the next 30 years and failed to take inflation and interest expenses into account.

"It us who pays those taxes," Contract said. "It doesn't matter if it's in the council's budget or the Board of Ed's budget. It comes out of our pocketbooks and wallets."

Contract also argued that the Edison fields reside in a "500-year FEMA flood hazard zone," despite CME telling him otherwise. After Hurricane Ida last year, Contract said the damage to Ridgewood High School's turf fields cost around $150,000.

"If these fields flood, they lie adjacent to the Robinson's branch of the Rahway River Watershed," Contract said. "If you have a storm event, and the stormwater infrastructure built under the field is insufficient, then the water will push the infill material up and out and it will flow into the creek."

This environmental issue was brought up several times by residents who attended the meeting.

Steven Goodman, a recently retired health care provider, said that artificial turf is petroleum based and that it cannot be recycled.

"[Turf] is composed of substances toxic to the human body," Goodman said. "Over time, these chemicals decompose into methane and forever chemicals. Forever chemicals get into the air, the water, the soil. They never degrade."

If people ingest this plastic micro matter, Goodman argued that it can lead to respiratory diseases and cancers.

Several residents, some of whom are cancer survivors, spoke up at the meeting and implored the council not to approve the project.

Resident Andrea Taylor praised the council for its sustainability efforts, mentioning the Green Energy Fair and the town's Conservation Center. But she expressed concern about the crumb rubber used in artificial turf that she said contains PFAs — chemicals that do not break down and are known to cause cancer.

She spoke about her son's difficult journey with cancer over the past five years, watching him go through chemotherapy, radiation, spinal taps, blood transfusions and immunotherapy.

"If you have never watched your child lying in a pediatric ICU bed, hooked up to IVs and monitors for weeks on end ... perhaps the concept of carcinogens in our children's environment is too abstract," Taylor said. "Do you think the arguments of 'less expensive' or longer playing hours matter when our children's health is at risk?"

Councilwoman Linda Habgood, who voted in favor of the project, said there are "new turf options" out there that do not contain "polyurethane backing." She said there are systems that use two thirds less pellets and do not use old tire, crumb rubber.

"I understand the concerns we have about health," Habgood said. "We are going to make sure that the specs that go out on these fields are going to be without detectable levels of PFAs, without detectable levels of PAHs and toxic levels."

While many residents expressed their concerns about the impact of turf on health and the environment, others showed their strong support for the project.

Resident Scott Stodner said his children have spend countless nights playing soccer until 9 p.m. because they have to travel to other times to play on turf.

"This town needs this project," Stodner said. "I've coached in every municipality in Union County. Westfield fields are terrible. This town needs this for our children."

Mayor Brindle added that another aspect of project that is important to her is gender equity. She said Westfield is the only municipality in Union County that does not have turf fields for its field hockey teams.

"When I heard that girls field hockey program on its championship run [is] searching for night fields to play on turf in towns outside of Union County so they can have the game experience to make sure they win in the championship... that's just wrong," Brindle said.

"I think if we have an opportunity to create some gender equity for our female athletes, then we should be doing that," she said.

In terms of next steps, the school board is anticipate to vote on its side of the shared service agreement for the fields on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

You can watch the full Westfield Town Council meeting on Facebook Live.

Check out Patch's previous coverage on the Edison Fields Project below:

$9 Million Project For New Turf Field Worries Westfield Residents

Turf Project Draws Student Athlete, Resident Support In Westfield

Turf Field Recommended For Westfield's Edison School After Study

Turf Project Sparks Health Concerns From Westfield Parents

Westfield Council Approves $14K Assessment Of Edison Fields Project

Westfield Turf Debate Continues: Pro Field Manager Weighs In

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