During recent Board of Education meetings, members have discussed plans for a new athletic turf field, which would be placed in “the pit” behind the football field at Livingston High School, near the Haines pool and Littell People’s Park. The school district could request bidders for the project as soon as December, according to business administrator Steven Robinson. As of the previous meeting, on November 9, the Board had not committed to the project; but that would happen if its members awarded a bid.There are obvious benefits to adding another athletic field to the school district. More than half a dozen high school teams, as well as the marching band, would likely utilize the field. Funds also would come from the capital reserve, so it would not cost taxpayers additional money. Surely, a turf field would require less day-to-day maintenance during its lifespan than a traditional grass field, which would require landscaping and line painting, among other things.Yet, there are also a number of reasons this proposal should give people pause. As Sofia Calderón, an LHS freshman, noted at the last meeting, residents of nearby towns have recently opposed turf fields due to environmental concerns, including chemical runoff and the fact that they raise temperatures by causing “heat islands.” Turf fields have also been known to have drainage issues; something that many in town are already concerned about, particularly at a time when climate change is resulting in heavier periods of rainfall.Given these issues, perhaps we should focus on improving the drainage of the existing grass field as opposed to taking on the baggage that comes from using turf.The way in which nearby communities have reacted to similar projects is certainly worth considering in this case. Earlier this month, Maplewood voters turned down an artificial turf field despite needing additional places for children to play sports in town. And a decade ago, there was a lengthy battle over a new turf field at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange. Now, earlier this year, a rockslide that destroyed an apartment building and displaced dozens of tenants was linked to that very turf field, which had been approved in 2010 after a two-year fight between the township and its residents. Roughly 1,000 trees were removed to pave the way for the field, which worsened flooding in the area.We hope that the district takes these concerns seriously when debating whether another multi-million dollar ...
