Choosing up sides on artificial turf plan

Debate in Barnegat packs town hall

Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 02/22/06

BY JOHN VANDIVER
MANAHAWKIN BUREAU

BARNEGAT — When the next school year starts, middle school student Robbie Municchi will be a freshman at Barnegat High School and hopes to play on the football team.

But if an artificial turf field is installed, Municchi, 13, will be watching games from the bleachers.

"If they go to the artificial turf field, he will not play," said Robbie's father, Bob Municchi. The reason: Injuries and dangerous staph infections are more likely to occur on fake grass, the older Municchi said.

Residents filled town hall Tuesday night to discuss whether an artificial surface is needed at the stadium, an idea that has been vigorously debated in recent weeks.

Residents and Township Committee members sounded off on the proposal, which would cost the township about $750,000. The discussion was a swirl of conflicting opinions.

Some say artificial turf is a safety hazard. Others contend the surface is actually safer than grass. Both sides point to various studies to support their positions.

Some, including Mayor Thomas E. Hartman Jr., say artificial turf would help solve the shortage of fields for recreation in the township. Synthetic turf is more durable and can be used more frequently than grass fields, supporters argue.

Others, including Committeewoman Maxine Blumenthal, say township recreation funds should be dedicated to projects that benefit all residents, such as refurbishing already dilapidated or out-of-use fields in town.

"It's a question of priorities," Blumenthal said.

The Board of Education has said that without artificial turf, non-school athletic programs will no longer be granted access to fields at the high school. The high school's main practice field has been subjected to too much wear and tear, school officials have said.

Because the township wants its youth programs to be able to use the field, it would borrow money through bonds to pay for the artificial turf and be reimbursed by the school district.

"My concern is the ethics of this idea," said John Van Der Bas, a resident.

Van Der Bas, who works as a consultant in education construction, described the relationship between the Township Committee and the school board as "an unhealthy marriage," and said the turf issue should be settled by voters at the polls.

In Barnegat, artificial turf has been the talk of the town. At the local Wawa convenience store on West Bay Avenue, where some of the township's civic-minded residents often gather outside to catch up on local news, it was a point of discussion earlier in the week.

A day before Tuesday's meeting, Bob Municchi paid a visit to the small strip mall in search of someone to share the information that he'd collected on artificial turf.

"Yesterday (Monday) I tracked down Len Morano, one of the committeemen. This is an issue that has to be addressed," Municchi said of the turf proposal. "What scares me — I've researched this since the fall — is the safety. I don't want to see somebody get hurt."