This is not proper use of Open Space Trust monies. This is stealing from one and giving to another. This is improper spending of what the money was intended. If the Board of Ed wants new fields, then the Board of Ed should pay for it. I did not vote for Open Space Tax to allow it to be used for the Board of Ed.

The use of Open Space Funds has already been approved by voter referendum. This project is exactly what the voters wanted the funds used for. Why vote again? As far as the people in Lake Hiawatha, that was a tragic circumstance but this money can not be used for that. That is what FEMA and insurance is for.

This is Board of Education. This property is not open space. These fields are not the same as Smith or Jannarone which are open space areas.
The Open Space Trust is suppose to be used for specific purposes. 1. to be used for capital improvements to open space and parks. The Board of Education property is not open space nor is it a park. 2 to be used for preservation of historic properties. The Board of Education property is not a historic property. 3. used for acquisition of land and improvements for open space preservation. There intention is not to acquire the land and improve on it to make it available for everyone to use.

This proposal would also be installing VERY BRIGHT lighting systems, essentially turning night into to day, which would severely impact all of the surrounding homes. Furthermore, it would be turning what is primarily a residential area into a high-traffic sports complex, nearly year round, again, with extremely bright lighting. This will DECREASE the property value of ALL near-by homes. It is very interesting that the people most for this field have to do with little league and local soccer clubs, not the actual high-school. Local youth sports teams want to use it for their games which have nothing to do with the actual high-school.

Where does the information come from that a turf field increases property values in a city? One thing that is for sure is that spot lights in people's yards definitely DECREASES property values.

But Michael where does it come from that lights decrease value and there will be all this traffic? Have you ever been to the High School? It is active all the time, day, nights, weekends. This is a great use of the funds and I highly support it, and yes I have a student in High School, but she is a swimmer, so you think I would be lobbying for a pool, but I understand the big picture. Everyone should leave their emotions at the door and think logically on this.

I think that the new turf fields will be great as long as they are not monopolized by just the football teams (HS and Little Vikings) and soccer teams (HS and PSC). These fields would provide both Parsippany high schools to further develop their field hockey programs and possibly provide a venue to develop a grass roots field hockey or lacrosse programs that would allow Parsippany to compete with other Morris County towns.

Steve please remember there are 2 youth football teams not just Little Vikings, but also PAL Redhawks. I believe, based on what I read on the website, that the fields will be used by all the HS sports and I would assume (although this could be wrong) games would take precedent over practices and the schools would provide equal practice time.

I'm trying to be open minded about this, but this project doesn't make any sense to me. We would spend $4.5 million in order to save $700,000 over 10 years and then we have to replace the field again? The field may be easier to maintain after it's in, but the savings will never come close to the upfront costs. As to safety, I'm not a doctor, but I find it hard to believe that turf is safer than grass. If turf were indeed safer, why would so many professional sports teams have made the switch back to grass in the last decade? It seems that the strongest motivator to switch to turf is that the fields will get more use, but $4.5 million seems too steep a price to pay for a little more access and more competitive sports teams. With the information that I have at hand, I wouldn't vote for it (if it comes to that), but I'm willing to hear counter arguments.

Agree with Chris in that this use of Open Space Funds was already approved by voter referendum. Citizens spoke and won for use of the $ to fund this project. We have enough historic properties being preserved and maintained in Parsippany and frankly, don't need any more. No one stays in Parsippany or moves to Parsippany based on how many historic properties we have or how well they are maintained. However, I could say residents would look to stay here/send their children to our public HS's, if our sports programs/complexes were better. Too many times our better HS athletes in this town have gone to private HS instead of our very own public HS's, due to the lack of a solid, competitive sports team. These new fields will add to our sport's programs in enhancing the level of play by keeping our better athletes here based on a more attractive sports complex and a willingness for our better athletes to participate in the athletics program. Plus, the argument of "brighter lighting is inaccurate in these new state-of-the art light towers that only project on the field.

I do not agree with this project. From experience I can tell you that turf fields require just as much care as grass fields. Special equipment is used to maintain them, and rather than mow grass your workers now need to learn how to sew when the field tears. I also find it ironic that in a time when we are advocating for tax cuts (or at the least no increase!), that people on here are calling for more sports! Why do I want a tax increase to fund more teams to use this field? Parsippany has fine athletic programs as is and 10 years from now when this field must be replaced we'll see if Open Space funds come through....

It is silly to say that turf fields require just as much maintenance as grass..really?..grass cutting, mowing, seeding. tears of field are few and far between. Plus, would argue that by turfing these HS fields, you would free up the use of Jannarone and Smith to be used by other "fee-paying adult participants" for use of the those fields, thereby bringing in additional recreational dollar revenue. This year with a number of HS teams being moved to Jann and Smith to play their games due to weather, this would have applied. No increase in tax dollars here. We are talking about increasing the level of our sports teams, keeping more kids going to our public HS, then feeling the need to go to private HS which offer better sports programs. We can argue against this project and I understand that, but please don't make the argument of preserving historic sites instead and using this project money for the flood victims, when none of these Open Space dollars can go to them.

This project falls under Part 1 - 40% for capital improvements to open space and parks. If the Township owns the fields this is perfectly within the guidelines of the Open Space Funds. The BOE simply has to relinquish ownership of the fields to the town. How does that present a problem to you? The fields still belong to us..don't they?

Sorry Josh...but that is exactly what is happening.

This has been done using OPF in quite a few other towns. This project would not be this far along if all the legal and logistical questions you have raised had not been addressed and answered. This is an opportunity to put Parsippany in an elite group of Morris County towns and attract more young, upwardly mobile people looking to raise their families. The first thing someone does when looking to buy a home is check out the school systems. Having elite facilities as a part of that provides us with a big advantage to attracting them.

I don't care where the money comes from, it's bad policy to spend $4.5 million to just make our HS sports teams more competitive.

You're right Chris. The first thing they look at are the schools...not the athletic fields. And I would argue that a parent that chooses a town based on its sports should reconsider being parents. Nothing against sports, but that is not priority as a mother or father.

It's the whole package. The athletic fields being deteriorated just flat out looks bad and presents an image of apathy. You can't deny the fact that facilities are a huge part of the impression a school makes on a prospective student and their families.

Can someone please explain to me how playing just your games on a turf field makes your team better?
It doesn't sound like every team will be able to practice on the field at the same time. There are 3 football teams, 3 boys soccer teams, 3 girls soccer teams and 1 or 2 field hockey teams all going on in the fall. If you just look at the Varsity kids there is at least one home game going each day that I'd assume is going to get preference on the field before another team just practicing.

If the whole concept of home field advantage is you know your field better than your opponent and can take advantage of those unique characteristics how does just playing your games on a standard turf field make you any more competitive? It would seem by simple logic you are losing your edge and giving it to the other team by playing on a field that is exactly the same as any other turf field in any other town.

Even if only one team ever gets to use the turf field and they practice on it every day and play their games on it as well, is someone making the argument that the team is going to be better (more competitive) by playing on turf. That somehow the field makes the players better?

The competitive aspect of our teams has to do with the better athletes picking private schools over our public schools due to the better sports program being offered. Those better athletes rather go play at schools that offer better programs..good part of that being their athletic fields and services. If the athletic program we offer is enhanced by our fields, will allow for more of our better athletes to want to stay at hs here and thus foster a more competitive team on the field. I know of a number of very good athletes that don't go out for our sports teams because rather not lose all the time. Not condoning that-just stating fact.

Ur right Josh..1st thing parents should consider when picking where to live is not its sports program, but how many historic sites that are preserved and maintained the town has.

BOE must be happy to burn our money on turff... How irresponsible can our "leaders" be to allow firings within the system and approve such an idiotic plan. All other towns put such nonscenes on the ballot but it aint good enough for Parsippany. Why don't we recall the entire board for just being stupid...

Already put it on the ballot and taxpayer's voted yes to referendum

Despite Jennifers endless stating that the town and the BOE are separate the fact remains that these are open spaces used by the youth of our town. Our future. Portions of this money are being used to buy property and some to preserve our heritage. Our parks look fantastic so why not use some of the open space money to help the students. I have seen the fields and facilities of neighboring towns and frankly ours looks like crap. But the BOE has trouble every year getting it's budgets passed. This proposal would not increase taxes and once funded, the fields would last for many years and the open space funds can be used in other ways to beautify our town.

I think part of what is getting lost in some of the arguements about the sports teams, is that improving these fields with turf, lights, fencing, and new tracks is the ability for non-sports teams like marching band and color guard to use the fields. How about getting kids outside to exercise on a track that is not falling apart or too dangerous where the school track team cannot even use it.

As in terms of who will be able to use the fields, when, and cost; the current recreation fields in town are governed by an ordinance on cost and the town's Recreation department decides who gets to use the fields when available. So if the Town takes control of the fields and are then treated like the other recreational fields in town, then the ADs at the respective schools would request the field use permit for every day from 7:00am to 7:00pm Monday through Friday from August 15th to June 15th; they would then request the permits for any weekends or nights desired for school events at a cost of $0 to the schools. After that the Town would determine who can use the fields. How would field time be split amongst the school organizations (12-13 at one school and 9-10 at the other in the fall), well that is up to the schools AD. Theoretically speaking this could be happening now with the fields at Smith, Vets, and Jannarone; although if the weather permits the kids stay on school grounds.

Patches -- don't remember the referendum stating turf purchases. My understanding was that this was on the purchase of open space. Bring it up for a vote by the town. Curious how a 1.5 million dollar expenditure on turf will go over with the town's population. I think if you go down that road -- we could improve the schools with that money in better ways.

Second thought -- why not combine the two teams and make one great team. Just think of the immediate savings of at least 1 million dollars on turf purchases...

Vote allowed for open space so now town looking to make the fields part of open space..secondly, having 2 teams allows for more of out Parsippany children to participate in athletic programs..thirdly..as a golfer-u should encourage the new turf as u can request permit to use it as a practice area so on those wet days, don't have to worry about those grass divot's affecting your distance and mishits

I was making a joke of golf use. I certainly understand the concern here and the amount of dollars spent for sports. Also, that when it was voted on-folks did not know dollars would be allocated for turf. Regarding bathrooms, touch of paint and more respectful kids would help. As far as affecting neighborhoods for those living close by the fields. Those neighbors don't complain when they don't have to drive to school and kids could walk there. Plus, the Par High band is so darn good that be nice for all the neighbors to hear them at night rather than Johnny Mathis or Rap

I was at the meeting last night and the Cons were minimal, The BOE and the town should work together for the best interest of the kids in our town which are the future. People complaining about noise and the lighting,and traffice should have thought about that when you purchase your property, we are better off having our kids involved in sports then just hanging out to doing nothing or stuck to video games at home. You can not complain about traffic because whenever there is any sport being played at the high school the town puts lawn signs advicing that they are not to park there and the same goes for Brooklawn drive. What do you want your kids to do? Stay home and play video or computer games all day or just be a bums doing nothing at home. No, get them involve in sports so they can enjoy the outside and breath fresh air, let them enjoy whatever sport they love. If you have no kids, this is something that you will never understand and most likely as a kid you didn't play any sports.
This is 2011 and not 1965, if you go around to other high schools in Morristown County or even Passaic County which is a low income town, you will notice that most of the high schools have turf fields, how did they do it? probably the same way by working together with the BOE and the Town. I'm also a homeowner and pay very high property taxes but I do vote for the money in that fund to be use for something useful that all of our kids can enjoy and use for many years to come. .

We played on those fieds because we had too not because we wanted to. Besides all the parents of the Athlectic associations woke up very early to clean and make the field look decent compare to all of the otherone that didn't do anything because there's already look nice. 4.5 Millions is the consevative amount.

lets hope your grandchildren don't go to PHHS or the High and have to play on those fields that are not good at all.

and 2010 season we lost most of our games because of injuries

I do not support it. If families want their kids to play sports, they should pay for it, not taxpayers. 348 (51%) Unsure. 7 (1%)

Most homeowners in Parsippany have families and we also PAY TAXES, you are not the only ones.

We must have lots of single people in Parsippany, This is a family town and most normal people have KIDS.

Bring it to a town vote!!!!

My assumption is that there is to much concern that it will fail to pass

Please note when open space came up for a vote. My understanding was that this would be used to preserve open tracks of land from over development. This is not the case with a turf upgrade.

If everybody here trusts the mayor and this council, then they're all just as crazy as this mayor is. I don't trust either one.

http://parsippany.patch.com/articles/fod-walking-tour-scheduled-for-sunday#comments_list

www,parsippanyunite.com

FYI, there were no "FOD" members/supporters at this walkthrough today (3/25/12). It was very informative. We saw things that needed repair, saw things that probably did not need repair and saw things that raised more questions about the scope of work. The press was there and we would have loved to have had the "FOD" members/supporters there so we could discuss the project.

I wanted to publicly apologize for any rude comments I may have made. I have come to terms with my issues and realized I have been way out of line with some of my comments. I look forward to working together to form a better future for Parsippany children. Once again please accept my apologiy and I promise to not revert back to my old ways.

What comments Par? Didn't see any that required that type of apology