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Politics & Government

Letter to the Editor: Fields of Dreams—Why the Rush?

Historic preservation advocate urges decision makers to consider every aspect of proposal to turf school fields

A good decision-making process involves making a list of pros and cons and recognizing both sides. This allows supporters on both sides of the issue to understand the complexities of each position.

After a year of non-public meetings between the administration and the Recreation Advisory Committee, there seems to be an enormous rush to . Why the hurry?

Absent information, it is hard to make good decisions or understand the process. There hasn’t been time to inform the public of the contemplated use of their taxes.

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Some of the missing information includes:

  • How the high school athletic directors and principals feel about this proposal
  • Current condition, utilization and maintenance needs of the fields we have (both town-owned and  those owned by the Board of Education)
  • Alternate ways of paying for needed renovations to high school fields (If debt service is not included in the 2 percent cap, why not just have a bond referendum?)
  • What renovations are really needed at each school
  • The amount of money the rest of the town park system needs/uses every year from Open Space Funds
  • The amount of money needed each year for maintenance of historic buildings already owned by the town
  • Future or planned purchases from the Open Space Trust Fund
  • The implications of the town taking over school fields: insurance, educational needs, scheduling, maintenance, public access
  • Once relieved of the responsibility of renovating the fields, will the BOE rebate that money to the taxpayers?        

Let’s answer these and other questions before we ask the to act on the proposal.

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[Editor's note: The committee voted 3-3 on the matter at its Jan. 12 meeting, which means the Fields of Dreams proposal did not make the panel's list of approved projects. Township Attorney John Inglesino made it clear at the meeting that the committee's decision does not matter, as the mayor and Town Council legally may proceed if they so choose. The committee next meets Thursday at 5 p.m. at .]

In 2006, when changes to the Open Space ordinance were proposed and passed [through a voter referendum], at least some voters thought they were providing a maintenance fund for town parks while continuing to provide for acquisition of new open space. I do not believe that people envisioned using these funds for renovations and improvements to BOE properties. A new referendum would answer this question.

There needs to be a dialogue between the proponents of the Fields of Dreams proposals and the people who believe that improvements to the high school fields should not be funded by Open Space dollars.

is not politically motivated, it is motivated by differences in ideas and philosophy.  Trust Funds gathered from tax dollars need to be spent with an eye to the entire town.  Our population  (around 50,000) includes many people who do not use athletic fields for recreation. Open space, as exemplified by our park system, benefits us all. The benefits of a park system that includes many types of space (including passive recreational space) should not be jeopardized without careful consideration.

Julia Peterson

Mrs. Peterson is a member and former chair of the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee. She shares her opinion only as a concerned citizen and is not speaking for the committee.

Petitions are available for signing whether you are for or against the proposal to use Open Space Funds for the purpose of improving recreational facilities at the high schools.

If you favor the use of open space funds for the proposal, check out the Fields of Dreams website.

If you oppose the use of open space funds for the project, a petition has been created at Ipetitions.com.

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