Board says no thanks to $1M turf field grant

Members say taxpayers can’t afford related costs

BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer

The South River Board of Education has turned down a $1 million grant from Middlesex County for a new synthetic turf field at South River High School’s Denny Stadium.

The board voted unanimously on the decision at its Oct. 23 meeting. Board member Donna Rafano abstained from the vote.

The board held a special meeting the prior week to discuss whether to accept or deny the grant, which was presented to then-Mayor Robert Szegeti in October 2007 by county Freeholder Christopher D. Rafano. The freeholder said talks with his son’s Pop Warner football coach led him to seek out the funds from the county’s Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund.

The school board cited economic reasons and the 19 percent increase in municipal taxes this year for denying the grant.

“We were given $1 million for just the artificial turf field, and the county said we would need to have lights and provide maintenance on the field all at our own cost,” said Board of Education President Regis Wyluda.

The board president said the board over the past year hired an engineer to conduct a feasibility study, which quoted the price of the artificial field with the lights at $1.12 million. Board members added that the estimate would be more like $1.3 million with the electricity to use the lights included.

The board also researched surrounding towns such as Sayreville, Woodbridge, South Plainfield, Metuchen and Highland Park, which have already implemented artificial turf football fields.

The grant also called for an easement to be placed on the artificial field.

“The South River schools would have had first priority on the field, but if we were not using the field, the county would have the right to use it,” said Wyluda.

Residents came out to the meeting to express concerns about the idea of an artificial field with lights.

“This sounds like a Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage,” said Gloria Christ, who said the field sits behind her back yard.

Florence Jankowsky said she was not happy with the lights situation.

“Our house is in the center, and the lights would shine in our windows, which is a huge problem,” she said.

Her husband John added that they could shield lights, but he wasn’t sure about the public address system.

“As long as you have triple-pane windows you are not muffling the PA system,” he said.

Wyluda said in a time of dire economic straits, the district has many more important projects to do than a turf field.

“The Denny Stadium needs to be upgraded, the high school is in need of air conditioners, some classrooms have too many students, and we need money to hire additional staff,” he said.

Board member Rick Rosenberg agreed. “Our goal in South River, first and foremost, is sound education,” he said.