To the Newton Conservation Commission, Thank you for considering the improvement of Albemarle fields during your meeting on Monday, July 8th. 

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 support for installing 2 acres of synthetic turf at the northern end of the field. This installation has been approved by the Newton City Council, Newton Public Schools, the Community Preservation Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and benefits from extremely strong support from Newton residents.

It now comes to you to assess it within the Wetlands and Riverfront Protection Acts.

On balance, our board finds 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 idyllic, 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 chemically-maintained grass.

Here is one of our earlier letters to the city council 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 requires efforts that ultimately will help manage flooding concerns.

While we generally advocate for grass, trees and natural outdoor spaces, we are also realistic about supporting a city of 90,000, many of whom need accessible outdoor spaces to play. This installation will bring us to only 6% synthetic turf of our overall playing fields in use. This installation creates environmental benefits like sediment reduction as well as recreational improvements.

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 accessible outdoor community recreation.

A couple of last thoughts: Please ensure we are all working with shared, up-to-date 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 children 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, Ultimate, 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