The Watsessing Park Conservatory holds a public meeting tonight with representatives of Essex County to discuss plans to install artificial turf in two parts of the park. The county plans an artificial turf soccer field with lighting, bleachers and fencing in the open field where Bloomfield Avenue intersects the Garden State Parkway South entrance and for artificial turf on the interior of the track located on the border of Bloomfield and East Orange along Glenwood Ave.
Tonight’s meeting, at 7 pm, will be held at the Watsessing Park Senior Center Building at Conger Street, near the IHOP.
• SOCCER FIELD INSTALLATION: Includes permanent artificial turf with lighting, bleachers, fencing in open field located at northernmost section of Watsessing Park on Bloomfield Ave (along Garden State Parkway South entrance)
• RUNNING TRACK CHANGES: conversion of natural grass on interior of track to permanent artificial turf. Track is located on the border of Bloomfield and East Orange along Glenwood Ave between Willow St. (Bloomfield) and Boyden St. (E.Orange)
One would have hoped that the county had learned from it’s horrible installation in the soccer fields in Brookdale Park.
But no, Joe D won’t listen to anyone.
Wasn’t there a story here not too long ago that the soccer fields in Brookdale are in such sorry shape that Ashley and Montclair soccer will no longer use them.
Joe D – how many millions of dollars did you spend of ours on these fields that were incorrectly installed? Why is no contractor responsible for correcting these issues.
Joe D – why do you expect us to pay and pay while you don’t award the contracts and manage them correctly.
To the Watessing Conservancy- learn from what has happened in Brookdale and resist. Call news organizations and make your case known. Call your Freeholder and tell them that this will be another travesty.
on a final note- beware when Joe D says he’s going to repave the paths in the park. What you’ll get is a big fight on your hands and paths that are elevated so that people fall off of the edges.
The track and artificial turf at Brookdale are actually doing well. What’s failing at Brookdale is the sod that was installed on the soccer fields. It’s not standing up to the wear and tear, which is what the problem used to be before the money was spent to put down sod.
The area at Watsessing where they want to put the artificial field is now dirt and grass, and in the same spotty shape at the Brookdale grass. With that in mind an artificial turf field might be an improvement for the players.
I hope you both (and MANY others attend)
We need all to come up with the best and balanced solution.
Keep in mind that the purpose of the Watsessing Park Conservancy is to maintain the integritity and the original design of Olmsted.
Maintaining the balance of the usage of the park is our focus.
Also, as residents, we have a duty to serve as liaisons to the immediate neighborhood, and to the Township as UNDOUBTEDLY the resources of Bloomfield are needed for activities that occur in and around the perimeter of the park.
I think they should use all that park land for low-income housing