Sun Feb 24, 2008 at 09:55:11 PM EST
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| There is currently a battle raging in Evesham Township, Burlington County regarding recreation issues and whether or not to install artificial turf. I opened my Courier Post this morning to the headline "Artificial Turf War erupts in Evesham". Follow me below the fold for the story... |
| Jason Springer :: To turf or not to turf |
If you're not familiar with the area, the town Marlton is located within Evesham Township. Here's some background on what council is proposing...The ordinance is part of a shared-services agreement between the Township Council and the Len-ape Regional High School District.
Under the agreement, Evesham will fund the design and installation of a $1 million artificial turf field at Cherokee football stadium on Tomlinson Mill Road. In turn, the regional school district has agreed to pay to maintain the field.
The deal allows district sports and township recreation programs to use the field, according to a detailed scheduling plan that ensures Evesham's programs to have access at least 20 hours a week.
In addition to the Cherokee High School field, the township would use the bond to fund artificial turf on its football field at Memorial Sports Complex on Tuckerton Road.
Supporters of the plan have touted the shared service agreement as the first of its kind. If you're someone who is in favor of turf fields, it sounds like a winner and I would have to applaud the council for attempting to address the recreation concerns. But there are many critics in town that have raised concerns over the proposed agreement and want the concept put to a vote before the voters...Opponents have objected to the plan primarily because of health and safety concerns related to the products used in the fields, the lack of public input in the decision and the township's use of local open space tax revenues on land it doesn't own. Here is more information on the open space tax revenues issue...Under this new agreement, members of the council said the construction of the turf fields would not require a tax hike. All funding for the fields would come from Evesham's Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund, which is supported by a voter-approved, dedicated tax of 3 cents per $100 assessed property value. Critics question whether this is an appropriate of Open Space funds and while someone smarter than me would have to say whether it violates the letter of the Open Space fund law which serves recreation as well, I would think it violates the spirit of the fund. Also serving as a backdrop to this story is the fact that in 2006, a referendum to install turf fields at all 4 schools in the Lenape School District was voted down. Now the Marlton Rec Association which oversees the recreation leagues has weighed in with a threat if they don't get their turf fields...The Marlton Recreation Council announced yesterday it may stop enrolling additional children in its programs if opponents of the two new artificial turf fields succeed in overriding the Township Council's decision to fund the project.
In a statement released last night, the council stated that a move to put the turf fields to a public vote has forced the council's executive board to "plan for the suspension of registrations." This is their response to the possibility of people signing a petition to put the measure on the ballot. It's good to see the people who mold our children setting a good example that if you don't get your way, you just take your ball and go home. I understand the need for recreation improvements, but if the voters don't support turf it doesn't mean they don't support the children and their recreation. Mayor Randy Brown on the other hand says that's just the case..."It's unconscionable," Brown said. "Anyone who would sign this petition is against investing in our future." I'm not sure where I stand on the turf issue, but I am definitely not opposed to investing in our future. I just don't know if this is the best investment to be making. I like Mayor Brown, but I believe there is a difference. Karen Borden, a member of the local group Voters Against Synthetic Turf isn't a fan of the action taken by the Rec association...They're holding the children hostage to get what they want. For their part, Borden's group says they will try to get the necessary petition signatures to get the measure put on the ballot. They will need to get about 1,100 signatures from registered voters in town in 20 days. So Blue Jersey, do you have turf in your town? If so, how did they pay for it? |
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