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REPORT

of the

Kennedy Field Improvement Advisory Committee

May 22, 2017

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Committee Members:

George Adelung - Chairperson, New Milford Junior Football

Cheryll Calderon - Vice Chairperson & Secretary, Member of the Public

Hedy Grant - Council President, New Milford

Al Alonso - Councilman, New Milford

Dan Davis - New Milford Little League

Lynden Day - Member of the Public

John Heinemann - Recreation Director

Andrew Lombardi - Member of the Public

Joe Loonam - Member of the Public

Syl Bresa, as a representative for Vince Cahill - Department of Public Works

Pete Goldschmidt - Recreation Commission

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INTRODUCTION

The Kennedy Field Improvement Advisory Committee (the “Kennedy Field Committee”)

was created by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of New Milford to advise the governing

body on how to improve, enhance and beautify the recreational facilities encompassing and

surrounding Kennedy Field (the “Kennedy Field Complex”) in an effort to maximize its use for

multi-purpose/sport recreational activities, which will enrich the quality of life for New Milford

residents of all ages for the current and future generations.

To this end, the purpose of the Kennedy Field Committee is to:

1) Investigate and study the potential uses of the Kennedy Field area and recommend

the best use of the area to the New Milford governing body.

2) Coordinate with appropriate organizations, departments, committees,

commissions and the New Milford School District.

3) Provide input on how to incorporate quality improvements.

4) Research potential revenue streams and fiscal impacts.

5) Investigate costs of improvements.

6) Assist with grant applications.

This advisory report (“Report”) contains the recommendations of the Kennedy Field

Committee based on the research and analysis of various relevant factors, including but not

limited to, cost of maintenance, safety, participation and growth of the respective sports and

traffic and parking concerns.

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In a time where open space has become scarce and the number of sports activities

available to children has grown, it has become increasingly difficult for communities and

municipalities to accommodate multiple recreational and athletic activities. Many communities,

particularly densely populated areas like Bergen County, lack the open field space to

accommodate multiple sports that are played in the same season or even successive seasons. Not

only does the lack of space create scheduling problems, it also leads to overuse of the fields that

are available. This has led to increased maintenance labor and costs, which becomes

burdensome and often unsustainable for smaller towns with limited budgets and resources. Still,

despite significant effort by local Departments of Public Works, the fields are often not able to

be optimally maintained due to consistent and unrelenting use and lack of “time off” for the most

widely used fields. This confluence of factors has not only posed scheduling and planning

challenges for various organizations overseeing sports in the communities, but more importantly,

can create poor and, at times, unsafe playing conditions for children.

Recognizing this issue, the New Milford Borough Mayor and Council created an

advisory committee1 to investigate and analyze options for enhancing and improving the fields

within New Milford and secondarily, recommend the best option to meet these goals. With these

tasks in mind, this Committee endeavored to review and analyze the relevant factors to be

considered in order to make a proper and reasonable recommendation to the Mayor and Council.

After careful consideration, this Committee recommends the creation of a multi-use,

sports complex at the area currently known as Kennedy Field and Connelly Field. The

recommendation is based on a thorough investigation and analysis of several factors, such as

reduced cost of maintenance, growing participation in organized sports, lack of current field

space and long term benefits to the borough. In short, the Committee urges the Mayor and

Council to act on this proposal because, quite simply, there is a legitimate need, an ability to

reduce long term costs, and most importantly, a ripe opportunity to do so based on current

funding options.

The Kennedy Field further recommends that this proposed Kennedy Field Complex

include three softball fields (t-ball, Intermediate and Senior), one Little League baseball field,

one regulation sized football field, and one regulation sized soccer field in order to maximize use

by multiple athletic organizations. The complex should also include exercise areas and a

walking path. In addition, to keep maintenance costs from becoming overly burdensome and

accommodate the use of the field by multiple sports concurrently and in successive seasons, the

Kennedy Field Committee recommends that the field surface be synthetic/artificial turf. Further

details of the concept design as well as an examination of the factors considered to arrive at this

recommendation are encompassed herein.

1 Councilman Al Alonso suggested the creation of the “original” Kennedy Field Committee in 2015 and the Council

subsequently voted to create it. The “original” committee was tasked with identifying the location of a new field.

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I. BACKGROUND

A. New Milford

New Milford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey encompassing approximately

2.308 square miles. According to the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was

16,341, consisting of 6,141 households and 4,207 families. Of those households, almost 30% of

them had children under the age of 18.

According to the New Milford Board of Education, approximately 2,009 students

currently attend New Milford Public Schools in the 2016-2017 school year. Specifically, the

breakdown for each school is as follows: Gibbs School – 470, Berkley Street School – 431,

David E. Owens Middle School – 454, New Milford High School 623, plus 31 out of district

students.

New Milford also has a number of private schools within its city limits, including Saint

Joseph’s School, Hovnanian School, Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County, and The

French American Academy. An undetermined but significant number of New Milford children

are enrolled in these private schools.

B. Sports Currently Offered In New Milford

Despite being a relatively small town, residents and children of New Milford are eligible

to participate in various sports. The town’s Recreation Commission, which operates under the

umbrella and within the constraints of the borough, offers children who are enrolled in

Kindergarten through Eighth (8th

) grade2 the opportunity to participate in Recreation and Travel

Soccer, Recreation Wrestling, Recreation and Travel Basketball, and Recreation and UGals

Softball.

Various independent entities within the borough also provide New Milford children the

opportunity to play football as well as Little League and Travel baseball.

For purposes of this Report, the relevant sports examined were those that take place

outside and require the use of a field. Summaries and descriptions of the sports are below.

i. New Milford Junior Football

The New Milford Junior Football League (NMJFL) is a nonprofit youth football league

in New Milford, New Jersey. The league was started in 1976 and is comprised of boys and girls

ranging from Kindergarten to Eighth (8th

) grade playing football and cheerleading. The season

starts in the beginning of August and ends with cheer competitions in mid-December. The

2 Under New Milford Recreation rules, children must be enrolled in Kindergarten through Eighth grade. However,

Travel Soccer allows children up to age 19 years old to participate in the Spring Travel Soccer Season.

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NMJFL is part of the Meadowlands Football League (MFL) which is comprised of the following

towns: Wood Ridge, Hasbrouck Heights, Carlstadt/East Rutherford, Rutherford, Lyndhurst,

Harrison, Saddle Brook, Elmwood Park, Manchester, North Arlington and Wallington. The

program has been very successful and has won multiple championships and cheer competitions.

There are approximately 240 children in the program. The league is funded through registration

fees, sponsorships and fundraising. The program has a “no child left behind” policy in that no

child will be turned away from the program for not being able to provide the registration fee. All

coaches in the program are volunteers and must be Rutgers, CPR/AED, USA Football Heads Up

certified to coach in the NMJFL. A background check is required for all volunteers on a yearly

basis as well. The Executive Board that administers the league is comprised of a President, 2

Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary, Field and Facilities Coordinator, Equipment Manager,

Sponsorship Coordinator, League Representative, Cheer Coordinator and trustees. The Executive

Board is also comprised of volunteers and is subject to a yearly background check. The league is

in good standing with the Meadowlands Football League (MFL) as our League Representative is

also the President of the MFL.

(Summary provided by NMJFL President, George Adelung}

ii. New Milford Little League

New Milford Little League (NMLL), a 501(c)(3) entity, was chartered with Little League

International and incorporated in 1951 with the purpose of providing a baseball organization for

the community teaching not only the sport, but also character, sportsmanship and

dedication. The Little League presently has 14 active members of the Executive Board, which

consists of President, Vice-President/Treasurer, Vice-President/League Information Officer,

Secretary, Safety Director, Sponsor/Fundraising Chair, Volunteer Chair, Equipment/Building

Coordinator, three (3) Senior Groundskeepers/Facility Coordinators and three (3) Player

Agents/Liaisons. Our League Safety Director is also currently the Safety Director for Little

League in the State of New Jersey. All coaches and volunteers a required to undergo annual

background checks, and all coaches must take part in both safety and coaching clinics mandated

by Little League International.

Teams traditionally begin practices in March, with spring season beginning in April,

concluding with the summer travel season at the end of July. Some age groups also participate in

fall baseball divisions from August through October. The games are played mostly on Connelly

Field and Pavone Field. The Junior League Division (13 and 14 year olds) plays games on

LaBarbera Field as their “home” field. The teams also utilize Warren St. Park Field for make-up

games when other fields are unavailable.

For the 2017 season, there are approximately 321 players in the league.

NMLL currently has a relationship with Dumont Little League. Specifically, Major

League and Junior League Divisions play “in-district” games versus Dumont in Dumont as well

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as New Milford. NMLL also enjoys a relationship with Bergenfield Little League collaborating

in a “Challenger” program for special needs players.

The teams are encouraged to practice at least twice per week in the preseason and once

per week during the regular season. The teams are scheduled to play at least two (2) games per

week for approximately eight (8) weeks, continuing with a travel season of six (6) weeks in the

summer. In total, the teams play approximately 160 games in the spring and with 80 games in

the summer during travel season.

NMLL’s fundraising activities include securing sponsorships with area businesses as well

as a seasonal raffle during the season, “shake the hat” days where players help ask for donations

and a tricky tray/trivia night. The snack stand also helps raise needed funds. These funds are used

towards equipment and operating costs of the league, and more importantly provide NMLL the

opportunity to provide free registration to low income families as well as giving back with

scholarships to past players for college.

(Summary Provided by NMLL President, Dan Davis)

iii. New Milford Recreation and Travel Soccer

The New Milford Recreation Commission offers children enrolled in Kindergarten to

Eighth (8th

) grade the opportunity to participate in Recreation Soccer. Children between the ages

of 6-19 are also able to play Travel Soccer for the town sponsored “club team” known as the

New Milford Futbol Club.

The Recreation Program offers children the opportunity to play regardless of skill level.

The teams are divided into the following divisions: Kindergarten, 1st-2

nd Grade (Clinic), 3

rd-5

th

Grade (Juniors) and 6th

-8th

grade (Seniors). The teams are distributed evenly based on player

evaluations completed by coaches from the prior season as well as a “player draft” at the Junior

and Senior levels. This past Fall 2016 season there were 27 total Recreation Soccer teams.

During this current Spring 2017 season, there are 13 total teams. During the spring season, the

teams are limited to Kindergarten through 5th

grade. Teams are encouraged to practice one (1) to

two (2) times per week, with one (1) game per week. The fall season includes ten (10) games

while the abbreviated spring season includes six (6) games.

For the Fall 2016 season, 293 players participated in Recreation Soccer. The Spring 2017

season currently has 169 players.

In contrast, the Travel Soccer teams play at a more competitive level than the Recreation

teams. The players must try out for the respective teams and must exhibit the skill necessary to

compete at a higher level. New Milford Travel teams participate in the Northern Counties

Soccer Association (NCSA) which consists of approximately 80 clubs stretching from the

Hudson River to Sussex County and from Orange County, NY to Union County, NJ. The

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opposing teams played by each team vary by division and flight. Travel teams participate in a

fall and spring season. The season begins in September through December for the fall season

while the spring season begins in March and ends in June. Teams typically practice twice a

week and play in a weekly game. Both the Fall and Spring Travel Seasons play ten (10) games in

each respective season.

The Fall Travel season consisted of eight (8) Travel Teams in 2016 while the current

2017 Spring Travel season includes seven (7) Spring Travel teams, ranging from U8 (8 and

under) through U19 (19 and under). In the Fall 2016 season, 98 players participated on the Fall

Travel teams. The Spring 2017 season currently has 100 players participating.

iv. New Milford Recreation and Travel Softball

The New Milford Recreation Commission offers children enrolled in Kindergarten

through eighth (8th

) grade the opportunity to play Recreation and Travel Softball. The

Recreation Softball Program allows girls of all skill levels to participate in the game of softball.

The different divisions are divided by age, specifically Kindergarten-2nd

grade, 3rd

-5th

, and 6th

-

8th

. The teams are encouraged to practice weekly and participate in ten (10) games per season.

The games primarily take place at Kennedy Field. In recent years, the Recreation Program has

partnered with Bergenfield and Paramus for games and scrimmages.

Players with higher skill levels are also afforded the opportunity to participate in Travel

Softball, which competes in the United Girl Athletic League Suburbia (UGALS), a softball

league for girls age 10U (10 and under) and 17U (17 and under).

There are approximately 154 Recreation Softball players and 28 UGals players

participating in the spring 2017 season.

C. Number of Children Participating in Sports Continues to Grow

The number of children playing each sport in town has been consistent, and for certain

sports, increasing throughout the years. Below is a breakdown of the number of children who

participated in each sport in from the years 2014-2016:

Sports Participation By the Numbers34

2014 2015 2016

Spring Softball 156 151 157

Spring/Summer Travel Softball 42 44 43

3 These numbers are approximate and likely not exact.

4 Approximate figures were 2014 and 2015 were unavailable for Recreation and Travel Soccer due to turnover at the

Coordinator position and the lack of record keeping.

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2014 2015 2016

Fall Travel Softball 42 28 15

Summer Women's Softball 82 96 96

Spring Soccer N/A N/A5 189

Fall Soccer N/A 217 293

Fall Travel Soccer N/A 74 98

Total Participants Playing 240 610 891

2014 2015 2016

NMLL

290 305 318

2014 2015 2016

NMJFL

(Football Players and Cheerleaders 225 234 240

D. Recreation Fields

At present, there are currently nine (9) fields available for use for organized sporting

events and practices. As expected, certain fields are utilized more frequently due to location,

specialized field of play, lighting and convenience. Below is a description of the fields utilized

by the various sports.

i. Kennedy Field

Kennedy Field, the target area chosen for this project, is located behind the New Milford

Borough Hall with an address of 930 River Road, New Milford, New Jersey 07646. It currently

consists of three (3) softball fields, which are used for Recreation and UGals softball during the

spring; and the New Milford Women’s Softball League as well as various other entities in the

summer6. In addition, during the fall, the grassy area in between the softball fields is utilized for

football practices from Monday through Friday during weekdays and Recreation Soccer games

on weekends.

5 The Kennedy Field Committee was not able to obtain the number of participants for spring 2015 as the former

Coordinator no longer has records for that season. 6 Various independent out of town entities request use of the field throughout the year, but predominantly in the

summer months.

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The Kennedy Field area also includes the Recreation Building, wherein Recreation

Commission meetings and registrations for the various sports take place. The Recreation

building is also used as storage for Recreation sporting equipment and includes a Snack Stand

(run by New Milford Friends of Recreation) and restrooms to be used on game days. The area

is also equipped with permanent lights that allow the various sports to practice and play games at

night.

Kennedy Field, along with Connelly Field (discussed below), is known to many in town

as the center of sports activity in New Milford. Specifically, more than 250 games take place on

Kennedy Field alone throughout the course of the year. That number is in addition to countless

football, soccer and softball practices that occur on a nightly basis at the field throughout the fall,

spring and summer seasons.

According to the Coordinator for Softball, between 150-175 Recreation and Travel

Softball games are played on Kennedy Field from April through July. Also, though the main

field where soccer is played is primarily Williams Field (discussed below), Recreation Soccer

does hold some games for younger age levels at Kennedy Field as well. According to the Soccer

Coordinator, over 50 Recreation soccer games are played on Kennedy Field from September

through November. In addition, during the summer months, the New Milford Women’s Softball

League also plays approximately 24 games at the field. Other entities who request Use Permits

from the Recreation Commission throughout the year also play an undetermined number of

games at the field.

ii. Connelly Field

Connelly Field is one of the four baseball fields used by New Milford Little League and

is located adjacent to Kennedy Field behind Borough Hall. It includes one baseball diamond

and the New Milford Little League building, snack stand and equipment garage. On the grounds

between Connelly Field and Kennedy Field is also a small playground. The field is used by

Little League players ages 4-13. The field is enclosed by permanent fencing that is used to

display sponsorship signs. The field is also equipped with lighting for night time games and

practices.

During the course of a season, over 160 games will take place at Connelly Field alone, in

addition to countless practices throughout the season. Last fall, Connelly Field was also the

location for multiple “training sessions” for the Travel Soccer teams that required the use of

lights.

As part of the improvements to Kennedy Field and the creation of the proposed multi-use

Kennedy Field Complex, Connelly Field would be renovated and subsumed into the concept

design in order to accommodate a full length, regulation football and soccer field.

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iii. La Barbera Field

La Barbera Field is located behind Connelly Field nearest to the Borough’s Department

of Public Works Facility (NMDPW). Little League uses the field in the spring for its Junior and

Senior divisions, which includes players between the ages of 13-14 years old.

During the fall, the field is used by NMJFL for football practices for its Flag Football and

Mighty Mites teams. The field is also the venue for all of NMJFL home games and select

playoff games. There are four home games per season for each NMJFL level, totaling 20 games

per season.

The New Milford High School Baseball Team also currently uses the field for some

home games. In addition, during the summer and spring months, the New Milford Recreation

Department issues permits to outside entities to utilize the field.

iv. Pavone Field

Pavone Field is located next to La Barbera Field near Hardcastle Pond. The field is

primarily used during the spring and summer baseball seasons for the t-ball, Clinic and Minor

League division teams (ages 4-11), and certain Travel Baseball teams. There are approximately

60 games that take place at Pavone Field during the year, in addition to practices throughout the

week. Due to flooding issues that occur during rain events, however, the use of the field is

limited. In some instances, due these weather issues and the resulting scheduling conflicts, many

games cannot be rescheduled.

v. Williams Field

Williams Field is located behind the New Milford Public Library, with an address of 200

Dahlia Drive, New Milford, New Jersey 07646. The field is used primarily for Recreation and

Travel soccer in the fall and spring months, beginning in August and continuing through

November, and again from March through June. During those months of use, there can be as

many as twenty (20) games per weekend at the field, which includes both Recreation and Travel

Soccer. There are typically ten (10) weeks in a soccer season, thus there can be potentially 200

games at Williams Field in a season.

At the height of the fall soccer season, Williams Field is used on a nightly basis by

Recreation and Travel Soccer teams. In the months of August-late September, there may be as

many as 12 teams practicing a night, five days a week – totaling 60 practices per week. As it

becomes later in the fall, because there is less daylight and the field is not equipped with lights,

teams are not able to practice past 5:30 pm, significantly reducing the number of practices at the

field. Though the field is not equipped with permanent lights, the Mayor and Council recently

purchased and allocated temporary lights for use at the field during the fall soccer season.

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Recreation Softball also uses Williams Field in the spring for practices. During the

spring, softball is given priority to use the field thereby reducing the number of teams that can

practice at Williams Field at a time. In addition, due to the condition of the grass at Kennedy

Field and the softball program’s priority status at that field as well, soccer is not allowed to be

played there during the spring season. Thus, the soccer program faces similar limitations

regarding practice field space in the spring as it does in the fall.

vi. Berkley Field

Berkley Field is located directly behind Berkley Street School with an address of 812

Berkley Street, New Milford, New Jersey 07646. It currently includes a baseball diamond and a

large grass field. During the fall, Recreation Soccer teams hold practices at the field periodically

depending on field availability. The field is not equipped with lights which make its use limited.

The borough’s Mayor and Council recently approved the field for renovation. The cost

estimate from Boswell Engineering for improvements to the field totaled $270,000. The town

received a grant in the amount of $135,000 and the Board of Education contributed $40,000.

The borough will fund the balance of the renovation.

vii. Warren Park Field

Warren Park is located at just a few blocks from Boulevard and New Bridge Road. The

field includes a playground and baseball diamond. The park is primarily used during the spring

for t-ball practices and occasionally for Clinic level make up baseball games.

In the fall, recreation soccer may practice on the field from time to time but very rarely.

viii. High School Cafeteria Field

The High School Cafeteria Field is located behind New Milford High School with an

address of 33 River Road, New Milford, New Jersey 07646. While the field is primarily used by

the New Milford High School Junior Varsity Soccer teams, when not in use, the field is used by

New Milford Recreation during the fall to hold recreation soccer practices as well as games on

Sundays for Junior level teams.

ix. Middle School Field

The Middle School Field is located behind David E. Owens Middle School with an

address of 470 Marion Avenue, New Milford, New Jersey 07646. It consists of two (2)

softball/baseball diamonds. The field is primarily used by the New Milford High School teams

in the fall and spring months, but is occasionally used by Recreation Soccer in the fall for

practice purposes.

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x. Board of Education Exclusive Fields

This discussion does not include a description of Gibbs School Field and the High School

Football field. These fields are exclusively used by the Board of Education. New Milford

Recreation, NMLL and NMJFL do not currently use or have access to the fields.

xi. Prospective Field – United Water Property

As a result of a settlement reached between the Borough of New Milford and the New

Milford Redevelopment Association (NMRA), there is a proposal in place which includes plans

to build a recreational field of dimensions 360 feet by 180 feet at the former United Water

Property.

The settlement, attached as Exhibit A, provides for NMRA to subdivide the property and

transfer by deed 4.4 acres to New Milford within one year of receiving final non-appealable site

plan approval. The site plan application has been filed with the New Milford Planning Board and

will be heard on May 23, 2017.

At the time that the property is transferred to New Milford, it will contain a paved 103

space parking lot, a 50-year storm water retention system and a field graded for either grass or

synthetic turf. The concept design for the property includes a regulation sized soccer field,

within which there will be a football field. In addition, NMRA will provide $750,000 to New

Milford, which is to be held in a separate sub-account and utilized solely for the development of

recreation and community facilities on the UW property. NMRA will also provide $50,000 to

the borough to be used solely for cleaning and rehabilitation of the recreational and community

facilities should they become flooded and a reimbursement for up to $75,000 towards costs

associated with the substrate.

The Kennedy Field Committee did consider the existing fields in town while

contemplating a recommendation to the Mayor and Council, particularly as they relate to

availability and use. Since the project at the United Water Property is a prospective one and

because the Committee is limited in its scope, the Committee did not speculate as to the

availability and use at the field referred to in the settlement with NMRA. However, it is

important to note that the members of the Committee did undertake extensive discussions about

the property and it was the general consensus of the members that even if a field is built at the

United Water Property, whether grass or synthetic turf, the Committee’s recommendation would

remain unchanged.

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II. DISCUSSION

A. The Current Fields are Not Sufficient

As the numbers above demonstrate, hundreds of New Milford children participate in

organized sports throughout the fall, spring, and summer seasons. These sports take place on

various fields and locations throughout the town, with some fields more frequently used than

others due to location, lighting and field conditions. As popularity of these organized sports

increase due to societal and economic changes, the numbers will only continue to grow. As

demonstrated by the participation numbers for the respective sports described above, the number

of children enrolled in sports continues to increase.

Despite the consistent growth in organized sports, little has been done over the years to

improve or increase the availability of recreational fields within the town. In the fall, when

daylight becomes an issue, sports teams are left with even fewer options. For example, the only

fields with lights are LaBarbera Field, Connelly Field and Kennedy Field. Connelly, however, is

unavailable for use in the fall and LaBarbera and Kennedy Field are used primarily by NMJFL.

Thus, soccer teams are left with little to no options once October approaches and daylight is

limited. This past fall 2017 season, because several Travel Soccer “training sessions” required

lights, soccer teams were forced to practice at Kennedy Field simultaneously with NMJFL

teams. Further, during the spring season, soccer is not considered a “priority” and is not able to

use Kennedy Field and has limited use of Williams Field during weekdays. This not only creates

a scheduling problem for all sports involved, but a potential safety issue as well. Unfortunately

due to the limited availability of fields in town, due to either light or use issues, situations such as

these have become more common and cannot be avoided.

A multi-use complex at Kennedy Field would serve to mitigate some of these issues.

With the inclusion of the area around Connelly Field, the football teams would have a larger area

to practice, making it possible to practice multiple teams at a time and thus allowing the soccer

program some access to the field during the fall. Additionally, a multi-use complex with

synthetic turf would help remedy issues that arise during the spring as well, including reducing

maintenance costs and improving field conditions. The need is particularly apparent at Kennedy

Field where grass is unable to grow in certain areas of the field due to heavy use by the football

teams in the fall. In fact this spring, there was a decision made not to use Kennedy Field for

Travel Soccer, despite the need, because by April the grass had not grown back.

It is clear that the time is now for the municipality to address the growth and popularity

of organized sports in our community to ensure that there are ample facilities to accommodate

these changes in the coming years. Attached as Exhibit B are letters supporting this proposal

from the heads of the various sports in New Milford.

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B. Maintenance of Kennedy Field and Connelly Field

Given the current level of participation in organized sports by the children of New

Milford and the limited usable field space allotted, many of the fields in town are over used and

not sufficiently maintained. Kennedy Field, the target site for the multi-use complex, is

currently maintained by the NMDPW field staff. Maintenance of Connelly Field, on the other

hand, is primarily done by NMLL volunteer parents and coaches. The NMDPW is required to

expend significant resources to maintain the field in its current condition, despite its limited

recourse and budget and NMLL are is forced to use a significant portion for their budget and

allot valuable resources and time for field maintenance.

Both natural grass fields are currently watered, fertilized, top soiled and seeded as

needed. The grass is cut weekly and manicured. Clay is purchased on an as needed basis and

the infields are maintained by dragging and raking extensively. Leaves and debris are blown off

the fields in the fall months when necessary. The fields are also lined weekly with field paint

and field lime is installed on a per game basis.

According to the NMLL, the cost to maintain Connelly Field is over $25,000 per season.

According to the NMDPW, the costs associated with maintenance of Kennedy Field – and

specifically the costs of maintaining the natural grass - are significant and rising. A detailed

accounting of the maintenance costs associated with the current Kennedy Field as represented by

the NMDPW is attached as Exhibit C. A detailed accounting of the cost to maintain Connelly

Field as represented by the NMLL is attached as Exhibit D.

Under the new proposed plan, with the use of synthetic turf, the maintenance will be

reduced to a twice per month raking of the field with the use of a power rake. The power rake is

a trailer hookup that is towed behind a tractor or any lightweight vehicle with a tow hitch. This

will be done by the NMDPW staff or can be done by the various volunteer organizations

utilizing the field. The time to power rake the field will be one man one hour per instance -

totaling two (2) hrs per month. The manufacturer recommendation for the use of this field is to

power rake twice monthly. A Power Vac, which will likely be provided by the company

contracted to install the synthetic turf, will also be utilized to remove debris and leaves from the

field as needed. The approximate maintenance time necessary in fall months is 30 minutes per

week for 8 weeks.

The installation of synthetic turf will lead to a significant savings in cost of maintenance

and labor. After some discussion with a vendor7 who specializes in synthetic turf, the

Committee was advised that the annual cost for maintaining a synthetic field could be as little as

$4,000 per year during the life span of the field. This is in contrast to the costs associated with

the maintenance of grass fields as represented by the NMDPW and NMLL. The likely life span

7 The Kennedy Field Committee has not chosen a vendor to assist with building a synthetic turf field. The number

provided is only an estimate.

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of the field is estimated to be 12-15 years before it will need to be replaced at an approximate

cost of $500,000-$750,000.

Below is a chart showing a line by line comparison of costs per year.

Natural Grass Field vs. Synthetic Turf Field

Kennedy Field Connelly Field Combined

Kennedy &

Connelly

Synthetic Turf

Maintenance $8,091 $2,791.31 $10,882 $4,000

Supplies $8,093.21 $9,296.46 $17,389.67

Fertilizer/

Seeding/

Pesticide

$4,488 $3,230 $7,718

Irrigation $1,659.44 $3210.73 $4,870.17

Labor $28,8608 $14,400

9 $43,260.00 $1,400

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Miscellaneous $1,654.04 $1,654.04

TOTAL $51,191.65 $34,582.54 $85,447.19 $5,40011

i. Weather Related Maintenance

As previously discussed, the fields at Kennedy and Connelly Fields currently consist of

natural grass and clay. As such, in the event of rain or inclement weather, various measures must

be taken to maintain the field. Some of the necessary steps are listed below:

(a) Use of Turfice quick dry applied to field clay areas to soak up rain water.

(b) Pumping of water off fields as needed.

(c) Raking the clay infields as needed.

8 Breakdown of labor costs annually according to the DPW - Grass (mowing, sweeping, and trimming)

$14,500 a year, Infield Maintenance $10,340 a year, Irrigation System $4,020 a year. 9 NMLL maintains Connelly Field through the hard work of its parent/coach volunteers. The number provided is the

fair cost for labor, as estimated by NMLL. 10

Per the estimate for labor required to maintain synthetic turf, the NMDPW estimated that it would cost $1,200 per

year to Power Rake (24 hours of labor) and an additional $200 annually to Power Vac (4 hours of labor). This

estimate based solely on hourly pay and does not include medical, worker’s compensation or pension payments

which the borough is also responsible for. 11

Estimated cost is based on discussions with one vendor and does not take into consideration the cost of

replacement. The Kennedy Field Committee has not be authorized to engage a vendor or engineer, thus all costs

regarding synthetic turf and any replacement are speculative.

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Despite the above steps, however, in many instances because of water accumulation and

pooling, games are often postponed or cancelled due to unplayable and unsafe field conditions.

Under the proposed plan there will be minimal maintenance involved as a result of weather

events. The only step necessary will be to wait for the inclement weather to end and, in most

cases, the fields will be playable within one (1) hour after the event. The need to reschedule and

postpone games will be greatly reduced

ii. Maintenance due to Overuse

In addition to day-to-day maintenance, certain measures are taken to remedy and address

the overuse of the fields. This has required additional top soiling and seeding as needed as well

as raking and moving dirt. Teams must also regularly rotate and relocate areas of play in order to

reduce the wear and tear on certain portions of the field that endure a lot of traffic. Closing off

certain areas of the fields at certain times is also necessary to allow the ground and soil to

regenerate and not deteriorate. These practices often serve to constrict practices and limit the

play of teams, and can cause scheduling issues as well.

Under the new proposed field plan, the maintenance required would be the minimal day-

to-day maintenance as discussed above. No other additional measures would be necessary.

C. Safety of Fields

The Kennedy Field Committee recognizes that the use of artificial/synthetic turf as a

playing surface is highly controversial for a number of reasons. Many believe that to preserve

the integrity of certain sports, they should only be played on natural grass. Others argue that the

use of synthetic turf exposes players and athletes to a higher risk of injury. In addition, there is

concern from some that the use of artificial/synthetic turf increases the risks for certain cancers.

During the course of the Committee’s investigation and analysis, all of these concerns were

considered and several peer-reviewed scientific articles as well as media articles were examined

to come to a consensus regarding the playing surface to be used at the proposed Kennedy Field

Complex. It’s important to note at the outset that while review of the scientific literature and

media were instructive in our decision, no members of the Kennedy Field Committee are

medical personnel, athletic trainers or well versed, let alone professionally educated, in the

sciences. Therefore, our recommendation is based solely on a layman’s review of these

materials.

One of the scientific articles reviewed compared the mechanical and biomechanical

responses between artificial turf infills and the performance of natural fields. According to this

article, the natural ground proved to be stiffer. Zanetti, Bignardi, Franceschini, Audenino.

Amateur football pitches: mechanical properties of the natural ground and of different artificial

turf infills and their biomechanical implications. J. Sports Sci., (2013)31(7):767­78 (2013).

Another study reviewed prospectively reported the epidemiology of injuries in 80 young soccer

players playing on artificial turf over the course of one season. The study ultimately concluded

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that artificial turf pitches do not seem to contribute to injury incidence in young soccer players.

Bianco, Spedicato, Petrucci, Messina, Thomas, Sahin, Paoli, Plama. A Prospective Analysis of

the Injury Incidence of Young Male Professional Football Players on Artificial Turf. Asian J.

Sports Med. (2016) 7(1):e28425. In an even more recent study, male soccer athletes from 11

universities were evaluated over six (6) seasons. Over the course of the study, 380 team games

were played on “FieldTurf” while 385 were played on natural grass. The results indicated that

in many cases, synthetic turf was safer when comparing injuries in collegiate soccer. The study

did note, however, that the findings may not be generalizable to other levels of competition or to

other artificial surfaces. Meyers. Incidence, Mechanisms, and Severity of Match-Related

Collegiate Men’s Soccer Injuries on FieldTurf and Natural Grass. Am J Sports Med. (2017)

Mar; 45(3): 708-718.

In contrast, an epidemiological study conducted in 2013 which examined the injuries of

amateur soccer players on artificial turf over the course of one season, concluded that the injury

incidence in amateur players is higher during matches played on artificial turf than during

training sessions. Sousa, Rebelo, Brito. Injuries in amateur soccer player on artificial turf: a

one-season prospective study. Phys Ther Sport. (2013) 14(3):146-51. A 2015 study published in

the American Journal of Sports Medicine conducted a systematic review of the available

literature on risk of ACL rupture on natural grass versus artificial turf. Despite originally

hypothesizing that the risk of ACL rupture on synthetic playing surfaces would not be higher

than that of natural grass, the authors ultimately found the opposite. This investigation

concluded that high quality studies support an increased rate of ACL injury on synthetic playing

surfaces in football, but found no apparent risk in soccer. Ultimately, the article concluded that

further study is needed to clarify the reason for the discrepancy. Balazs, Pavey, Brelin, Pickett,

Keblish, Rue. Risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Athletes on a Synthetic Playing

Surface: A Systematic Review. Am J Sports Med. (2015) Jul; 43(7):1798-804.

Lastly, in a study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine in 2013, the authors

conducted a “meta-analysis” of soccer injuries on artificial turf and natural grass. This study

specifically addressed the seemingly opposite conclusions by many scientific studies regarding

the risk of injury on synthetic turf and the lack of a general consensus within the scientific

community. After a thorough investigation and examination of relevant literature, the authors

ultimately concluded that they found no evidence that playing matches or training on artificial

turf raises the risk of injury to soccer players. However, the authors continued, until more is

known about how issues such as altered playing styles affect injury incidence, it is difficult to

make conclusions regarding the direct and indirect roles of artificial turf in player safety.

Williams, Akogyrem, Williams. A Meta-Analysis of Soccer Injuries on Artificial Turf and

Natural Grass. J of Sports Med (2013); 380523.

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The Kennedy Field Committee takes a similar position as the authors of this meta-

analysis. After a review of several materials, there does not appear to be an overwhelming

opinion within the scientific community that artificial/synthetic turf increases the risk of injury to

players. Specifically, of the articles reviewed, some concluded that the risk of injury was lower,

while others concluded the risk of injury was higher. Thus, because there appears to be no

general consensus within the scientific community, and after a balancing of factors such as

maintenance, durability, and convenience, the Committee is comfortable with its

recommendation of artificial turf.

Notably, there is also considerable concern among parents regarding the possibility that

synthetic turf increases the risk of certain cancers. Given these concerns and the complexity of

the issue, the Kennedy Field Committee is not in a position to address these issues in a

comprehensive manner. As members of the community, volunteers and laypersons with regard

to scientific data, the Committee is limited in its ability to make certain conclusions regarding

this topic. As such, the only opinion regarding this matter that the members of this Committee

can express is that, based on all reports and articles published, there appears to be no conclusive

evidence that the fill used in synthetic surfaces causes an increased risk of cancer. However,

there also does not appear to be definitive evidence that the substances in synthetic turf does not

increase that risk. At present, the federal government is actively conducting studies on this topic;

however, multiple state health departments have studied this issue as well and have not found an

elevated cancer risk. Attached as Exhibit E are media articles reviewed by the Committee

regarding this topic as well as letters from the Massachusetts Department of Health and the

Connecticut Department of Public Health confirming the safety of the crumb rubber infill used in

synthetic turf.

D. Discussions with Other Recreation Departments

i. Experiences with Turf Fields

To investigate all options for a multi-use complex at Kennedy Field, members of the

Kennedy Field Committee conducted numerous visits to towns that have installed artificial turf

fields. The reasoning behind the visits was to obtain information from experienced users on why

they constructed their projects with artificial turf as well as discuss their experience with the

synthetic surface. The four towns involved in this process were Edgewater, Saddle Brook,

Woodbridge and Bergenfield. A member of the committee also conducted a telephone

conference with the Recreation Director for Dumont. Various members of this Committee were

able to speak with recreation directors, field maintenance staff and schedule coordinators for the

fields. During all of the visits as well as the telephone conference, the overwhelming benefit

from all of the towns’ perspectives was availability and use. The artificial turf gave the towns the

options to hold many more games and practices despite weather events. The maintenance costs

of the fields had also been lowered considerably. Members of the Committee also discussed

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safety issues during these visits and were told that the incidence of injuries had not increased

(outside of normal sports injuries) since the installation of artificial turf.

Woodbridge was a particularly interesting visit due to the fact they have nine (9) fields

that ranged from a field on the end of its life span, a “CoolPlay” field and an organic infill field.

The Recreation Director in Woodbridge shared his experience with each field and expressed that

he was even satisfied with the field that was made with the controversial “DuraSpine” from the

company FieldTurf.12

Saddle Brook Veterans field was a project that was originally designed and completed in

grass and then was changed to artificial turf as they were unable to maintain the field properly

and accommodate multiple sports. Since the change, the field is now scheduled every day from 3

pm to 10 pm with uses ranging from youth sports to fireman playing softball.

Edgewater had just completed their field prior to a member of the Committee visiting the

field. During the visit, the head of scheduling stated that the night before the grand opening of

the field it rained torrentially. However, despite the rain event, they were able to still start their

event at 10 am the next morning despite the extreme weather event.

Roy Brown field in Bergenfield how houses a multi-use field with soccer, football,

softball and baseball set up with a walking path around the entire complex. Undoubtedly, this

site with its close proximity and similar uses is the best barometer for this proposed project. The

member of the Committee who visited the field was impressed with how well the field was done

and the ability to accommodate multiple sports.

A member of the Committee contacted the Dumont Recreation Directors via telephone as

well. During the conversation the Recreation Director expressed his extreme satisfaction with

the town’s current turf field and also shared that he was interested in renovating their softball

fields with artificial turf. The over arching reason, he shared, was that despite how much money

was spent on the grass fields, the town could never satisfactorily maintain them due to the

recurrent flooding problems. He has not had any similar problems with the town’s turf field.

Lastly, a Committee member also reached out to the recreation officials from Oradell and

Rutherford, who are both currently in the process of replacing synthetic turf fields. Neither town

has experienced any negative issues while replacing their fields so far. The cost to replace the

Oradell field is approximately $500,000 while the cost to replace the Rutherford field, which is

larger and includes a track, is approximately $750,000.

In conclusion, the overriding theme of the visits was that all of the departments and towns

were extremely satisfied with their turf facilities due to the increased use the surfaces afforded

12

DuraSpine fields are the subject of several product liability lawsuits throughout the country due to defective

design. Complainants are alleging that the DuraSpine fields are falling apart much earlier than expected.

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them and the lowered maintenance labor and cost. In fact, many were looking into options for

increasing the number of synthetic turf options in their towns.

E. Prospective Cost of Project

iii. Funding Sources

This Committee is committed to the goal of improving recreation facilities throughout town,

however, the members are also cognizant of possible financial implications due to these

improvements. Taking this into account, due to the opportunity to obtain grant money to fund a

significant portion of the project, the Committee is confident that the project is fiscally

sustainable and possible. Specifically, the borough submitted a “Green Acres Grant” on

February 7, 2017 for up to 25% of cost of project less building costs and professional fees.

Attached as Exhibit F is the Green Acres Grant documentation.

In addition, the borough will also apply at a later date for the Bergen County Open Space

Grant for up to one hundred twenty five thousand dollars ($125,000).

These two grants, coupled with a possible contribution by the borough, should hopefully

make this project feasible. The Kennedy Field Committee was not tasked with nor are we in a

position to calculate or speculate about any possible tax burden on residents of the community.

Thus, any discussion of tax implications will be left to the Mayor and Council.

F. Parking and Traffic

The Committee, comprised of members of the community, is obviously sensitive to

traffic and parking issues that may result from increased volume and traffic at this location.

Given the proposed plan, the effect on parking and traffic will be manageable. Parking at the

new Kennedy Field Complex will continue to be on Columbia Street, LaBarbera Field, as well as

the New Milford Swim Club when it is not in operation. Further, with the addition of the new

police department and an accompanying parking lot, there will be additional parking spots

available.

In an effort to address any additional traffic concerns, the concept plan was also shown to

Lt. Robert T. Jones, NMPD Traffic Officer, who indicated that he did not anticipate any

additional traffic problems at the site as a result of the proposed new facility. However, to

alleviate traffic concerns from those in the surrounding streets, the Committee encourages the

Mayor and Council to consider placing a sign on the corner of River Road and Trotta Drive

which denotes the Kennedy Field Complex with an arrow pointing North towards Patrolman Ray

Woods Lane. In addition, all directions given to visiting teams playing New Milford Teams will

be given Patrolman Ray Woods Lane as the address. This will be done in hopes of diverting

traffic to lessen the impact to the residents of Trotta Drive, Oak Lane, River Lane and Arlington

Road. Access to Trotta can also be blocked off during certain events when deemed necessary by

NMPD. A proposal to make the exiting of Columbia Street to Trotta drive a one way proceeding

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south may be a potential option as well. This will obviously be at the discretion of the Borough

and NMPD.

Attached as Exhibit G is a letter of support from Lt. Robert T. Jones, NMPD Traffic

Division.

III. RECOMMENDATION AND DESIGN

After taking all of the above factors into consideration, it is the recommendation of the

Kennedy Committee that a multi-use sports complex be erected at the Kennedy Field/Connelly

Field location. The goal of this proposed “Kennedy Field Multi-Use Facility” will be to create

a high volume state of the art facility to be enjoyed by not only the children and parents of New

Milford, but all borough residents alike. With the location being directly adjacent to our

Borough Hall, the complex will have the potential to become the hub and nucleus of the town,

creating an environment for all to watch and participate in organized sports, engage in passive or

strenuous exercise and attend community events. The goal is for the Kennedy Field Multi Use

Complex to be a place that all Borough residents can utilize and be proud of.

As a Multi-Use Complex, various sport and activities can utilize and enjoy the facilities

including:

i. New Milford Little League.

ii. New Milford Junior Football.

iii. New Milford Recreation Softball.

iv. New Milford Recreation Travel Softball.

v. New Milford Recreation Soccer.

vi. New Milford Recreation Travel Soccer.

vii. Exercise stations/equipment for the use of all residents.

viii. General resident field use.

If approved to move forward, the Committee would welcome the opportunity to work

with the Borough’s contracted engineers, Boswell Engineering, to put a design plan in place that

would include certain design elements. After exhaustive discussions with the various heads of

organized sports in town, the following is a list of recommended features to be included at the

facility:

1. One regulation Little League field.

2. Two full size softball fields.

3. One Softball t-ball field.

4. One regulation soccer field.

5. One regulation football field.

6. Two 35 yd X 55 yard youth soccer fields.

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7. Field surface consisting of artificial turf.

8. Power Rake and Power Vac as part of the artificial turf package.

9. A walking path encompassing the entire property.

10. Renovation of blacktop area in front of Connelly Field building as well as retaining wall.

11. Outdoor exercise stations along the walking path (similar to those found at Farleigh

Dickinson Campus).

12. Perimeter fencing of complex including, but not limited to, Patrolman Ray Woods Lane.

13. New scoreboards (1 Football/Soccer, 1 Little League, 2 Softball).

14. Benches for players as needed.

15. New dugouts with lighting.

16. Safety ball netting as needed to preserve separation/safety between softball and Little

League fields.

17. Relocation of existing Little League batting cage

18. Purchase of sturdy temporary outfield fencing that can withstand affixed sponsor banners.

19. Purchase of enough temporary fencing to be used as event fencing as well.

20. Permanent pitcher’s mound on Little League Field.

21. Purchase of 2 portable football goal posts.

22. Purchase of 4 youth soccer goals.

23. Purchase of 2 softball backstops.

24. Purchase of 1 t-ball backstop.

25. Purchase of 1 Little League backstop.

26. Bleachers as needed.

27. Renovation to existing Recreation Building bathrooms - 3 Women’s, 3 Men’s.

28. Renovation of existing Connelly Field bathrooms - 1 Men’s, 1 Women’s.

29. Relocation of 5 -12 year old playground.

30. Sound system and press box.

31. Purchase of new lighting.

32. Relocation of existing lighting as needed.

33. New signage as needed.

34. Warning track in Connelly Field.

35. NMLL will have exclusivity at Connelly Field from 3/15 – 7/30 each season.

36. Connelly Field will keep the name Connelly Field.

37. Assessment of possibility of renovating Recreation Building.

38. Assessment of runoff of field into Recreation Building.

This list, while detailed, is not meant to be an exhaustive list but rather a recommendation

based on discussions with the various entities and individuals in town. The list may be amended

as needed, and as the design process moves forward.

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CONCLUSION

In conclusion, taking all of the above factors into consideration, the members of Kennedy

Field Committee urge the Mayor and Council to pursue this project for the benefit of all the

residents of New Milford.