HOLMDEL – After deciding to put a turf field project up for a referendum vote last month, the governing body is looking to pull back a bond ordinance for its funding.
Before a packed house at Tuesday night’s meeting, the Township Committee introduced an ordinance repealing the bond ordinance, otherwise known as the Cross Farm Park project. A public hearing is set for Feb 14.
“This is not ending, it’s continuing,” said Mayor Gregory Buontempo. “I think we all learned from the process, we’re going to try and make adjustments so it benefits the community. We will continue to provide options.”
The $3.3 million bond ordinance, which was passed in September 2016, calls for the creation of two collegiate-sized synthetic turf fields to be built at Cross Farm Park, between Longbridge Road and Newman Springs Road (CR 520) in the township.
A number of people in favor of the fields asked the township committee to hold steady on their decision to put the installation of the fields up for public vote.
The decision to introduce the plan to repeal the bond ordinance was 3-1, with Mayor Buontempo, committeemen Patrick Impreveduto and Mike Nikolis voting yes, and committeeman Eric Hinds, who spearheaded the project in his final months as Holmdel’s mayor, voting against the plan to repeal it. Committeeman Thomas Critelli was absent.
“Nobody’s been more passionate about upgrading our infrastructure,” Hinds said about his vote. “It’s certainly been a big belief that I’ve tried to lead.”
While Holmdel elected officials could move away from the Cross Farm Park project, Hinds hinted that a Plan B was being discussed between committee members and the Holmdel Board of Education over the past several months.
Hinds called upon Board of Education president Joseph Hammer to speak to residents about that contingency plan, which would call for a turf field project at one of the township’s schools.
Hammer said the board has project diagrams, descriptions and estimated costs of a potential project.
“It’s a matter of putting together an agreement between the township to make something happen,” said Hammer. “I am totally dedicated to working with the board, as well as our superintendent, to make this happen rapidly and as quickly as possible.”
Committeeman Patrick Impreveduto also called for Hammer and the other Board of Education members to have a presentation ready either prior to or before the Feb. 14 meeting, where a decision will be made on the fate of the Cross Farm Park proposal.
The Plan B conversation was sparked by comments from resident Brian Gordon, who wore his Holmdel Hornet-blue baseball hat and shirt to the meeting.
He attempted to dispel the idea that the issue is a battle between residents who represent different sides.
“Somehow, this issue is being framed up as the jocks versus the academics, or the athletes versus the non-athletes,” he said. “This is a community issue.”
Speaking in favor of turf fields was Joe Todisco, who lives on Candlelight Drive, about a mile and a half away from the township’s Cross Farm Park.
Though he said his children don’t have an athletic connection to the park, he said that Holmdel’s facilities pale in comparison to others in Monmouth County.
“In the shore area, I’m continually shocked at how poor Holmdel’s athletic infrastructure is compared to others,” said Todisco. “Towns that are not economically on par with Holmdel have vastly superior facilities.”
Preserve Holmdel, a grassroots citizens group aimed at halting the proposal, has consistently opposed building artificial turf fields over the natural grass fields of Cross Farm Park. They fear runoff could contribute to contamination of drinking water in the nearby Swimming River Reservoir.
“I’m pleased to see that we are looking at options for the schools, because that’s where our children spend a lot of their time, and it’s centrally located,” she said.
Also opposed to the artificial fields at Cross Farm Park is Barbara Singer, who spoke on the record asking that the township refrain from rushing into decisions. As a Democrat, Singer ran for a seat on the Holmdel Township Committee during this past election with fellow resident Karen Strickland.
Singer’s concerns stemmed from possible health hazards and she referred back a report from the Environmental Protection Agency about the effects of synthetic turf fields.
“I really feel that the EPA study for health purposes is something that we should be looking into, whether the project is being done through the township or the Board of Ed,” she said.
Township administrator Donna Vieiro asked that Hammer, the Board of Education president, provide all pertinent information about a turf field complex in the school district to the township committee.
Vieiro also said that if done so in a timely manner, a possible bond ordinance for the new potential proposal could be formulated for or prior to the Feb. 14 meeting. A special meeting regarding that issue was announced as a possibility.
“We are not stopping the pursuance of additional recreational facilities for our user groups and children in town,” Buontempo said.
