Dear City Council members and Mayor Fuller,
Thank you for considering the growth and improvement of Albemarle fields.
As the board of Friends of Albemarle, a certified 501(c)3 with more than 500 members including a majority of City Council and two state representatives, we want to ensure that you’re aware of our unanimous perspective on the issue of installing 2 acres of synthetic turf at the northern end of the field.
On balance, we find this installation to be the right choice for our community. We think the extremely high volume of traffic on this small field makes it an ideal candidate for synthetic turf. Much like a dirt road is ideal but just can’t support as high a volume of traffic as asphalt, so too this spot of open space needs to support the highest volume of outdoor recreation in all of Newton with more than just grass.
Here is one of our earlier letters to you on the issue.
Rather than relying on the intensive irrigation and chemicals needed to keep a high volume of players able to use this outdoor space, we think synthetic turf could help the environment. Modern turf is permeable and will help manage flooding concerns. Overall, we are in favor of grass and trees and natural outdoor spaces, and are also realistic about supporting a city of 90,000, many of whom need outdoor spaces to play. This will bring us to only 6% synthetic turf of our playing fields in use.
If we delay upgrading Albemarle, we also delay a planned bike and walking path that will create significantly safer conditions at Albemarle, not to mention improved grass fields, wetlands integration and rainwater management, and better lighting that allows for healthy outdoor community recreation.
A couple of last thoughts:
If you’re voting based on environmental concerns, please be sure you’re working with the facts of modern synthetic turf and PFAs as well. PFAs are in everything, including the current grass at Albemarle, and most notably in the takeout containers of Newton. If PFAs are the main reason for lack of support, please consider taking action in areas that are more directly related to harm than playing fields. Newton kids play travel sports on other town’s synthetic fields, and there is no evidence of harm to them. It’s important that we share a set of facts about the modern products so that we can support outdoor recreation in the best way possible.
More info on PFAs in our air, food, water, takeout containers and more is here: https://www.epa.gov/pfas/pfas-explained
Newton North concerns –
Day Middle School gets out at 2:20 and has practice on the Albemarle until 4. North gets out at 4 and will have practice until around 6. After that, and on weekends, this synthetic turf will be the only one that is accessible to the community in all of Newton. Albemarle has an extremely broad and diverse group of users, of all ages, and sports, too. To be able to play cricket, football, soccer, etc – even on days when the ground is wet and other fields are closed – allows Newton to have an amenity that most of our surrounding communities already enjoy. Let’s go for it!
Thank you!
The Board of Friends of Albemarle
Friends of Albemarle 