Pro: 34 meetings and Newton South turf is almost a reality

By Ted Tye

Yogi Berra once said, “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over,” and that couldn’t be more representative of the status of the Newton South fields project. As so many people have congratulated me over the last few weeks on the approval of project funding by the Newton Board of Aldermen, my tongue-in-cheek reply is, “We still have some ground to cover.”

Nothing is easy in Newton and this project sure proves it. For those who haven’t been following this saga, I formed a citizens group called NEWTURF in April of 2004 in response to the deplorable unsafe conditions of the fields at Newton South. Our goal was to follow the lead of numerous other area communities that installed synthetic turf fields. Almost five years later there are over 100 such fields in surrounding communities. In Newton, synthetic turf fields are at Lasell College, the YMCA, Boston College and soon at Newton North.

While other towns quickly proceeded with approving and constructing fields, the Newton South project has been through 34 (yes, that’s 34!) public meetings. This included an ill-fated attempt to use Community Preservation Act funding, many discussions with project neighbors and several years in front of the Board of Aldermen. Thanks to Mayor Cohen’s support and the leadership of several Aldermen, funding was overwhelmingly approved by the Board in front of hundreds of cheering supporters in December.

The plan, which has evolved from its original form, is not just about synthetic turf. With input from many stakeholders, the so-called “2+2” plan demonstrates that a better solution can be developed from community participation. The plan, which ultimately achieved support from almost all project neighbors, includes two multi-purpose synthetic turf fields. But that’s not all. Also in the plan are a new natural grass baseball field, new natural grass softball field, and a new running track along with fully accessible stands.

After almost five years, I don’t think there are too many people who still dispute that synthetic turf fields are the right solution for the two multi-purpose fields. The heavy use that the fields must accommodate for multiple sports means that natural grass fields, no matter how well constructed, would not survive. The fields are used by physical education classes, school sports (by four different schools) and a variety of youth and community activities. Synthetic turf fields make good economic and operational sense.

The current plan is for the City to put the project out to bid this winter and to be under construction in May. That schedule would allow the football, soccer, field hockey and cross country teams to begin using the new improvements in September. Athletes and coaches at Newton South are exciting about playing next fall on safe, high quality surfaces at their home field.

So what’s the catch? There is still some debate about making sure that the synthetic turf components combine the most environmentally sensitive products with a field that offers appropriate economy, warranty and long term performance qualities. On January 5, two committees of the Board of Aldermen passed a resolution stating the fields shall use “sustainable, recyclable, lead-free, non toxic products to the maximum extent feasible.”
This resolution makes good sense and is good public policy.

There have been some older synthetic turf fields that have been shown to have small amounts of lead in the turf material. This is not the case for newer synthetic turf fields, and the City has stated that the specification for the South fields will include a stipulation that they will be lead free. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has stated that newer synthetic turf is not harmful.

The real debate is about the infill material that holds the turf in place. Almost all of the thousands of fields that have been installed in the US in the last ten years have infill that is made of a mix of sand and recycled crumb rubber. While there is no documented case of illness due to the crumb rubber in synthetic turf fields and it has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency for this use, some have questioned its safety.

The Board recently heard from representatives of two alternative infill products. One is made from a mixture of coconut shells and cork. The other is made from walnut shells. While these efforts are admirable, both products combined have one installation in the US. These products have not been tested enough over the long term to justify the considerable expenditure planned by the City. There were unanswered questions at the meeting about issues such as allergic reactions to the nut materials. The City has asked its consultant, Gale Associates, to provide a complete review of infill alternatives and make a recommendation for final design.

Finally, a small area of the project (a strip about 10-15 feet wide) is within 100 feet of an existing wetland in the area of the existing football field. The project area is no closer to the wetland than the existing football field. Work in the 100 foot buffer zone requires approval by the Newton Conservation Commission.

An individual has already submitted information to the Conservation Commission in opposition to the project. A Newton South coach recently mentioned to me that a big part of playing high school sports is about learning how to win and to lose. Hopefully those who have opposed the turf project, including this individual, can move on recognizing that their input to date has resulted in a better project and that the City has proceeded in a thoughtful manner.

Newton deserves a project that meets the needs of its athletes and does so in a responsible manner. Thanks to the good work by the Mayor, Board of Aldermen and many citizens, we are now in a position to move ahead and realize this vision. Let’s hope that our kids will be playing on the fields – and not further thwarted by adults – next fall.

Ted Tye is managing partner of National Development, a Newton-based developer of retail, office and residential projects.