From natural grass to synthetic turf

Weather permitting work began this week as Grant Park in Hewlett will be the first in Nassau County to have its fields replaced under the county’s Capital Project Program as $2.5 million is planned to be spent to replace the current grass fields with synthetic turf.

In addition to the three existing Grant Park fields being replaced with synthetic turf baseball fields, new backstops, fencing, bleachers, player bench areas, warm-up batting cage, comfort station, children’s playground and adult exercise equipment area will be added, according to Nassau County spokeswoman Kara Guy.

The current administration with approval of the County Legislature approved a capital project to replace several of the heaviest used athletic fields with synthetic turf in an effort to create state of the art facilities with the appropriate amenities for the residents of the County, Guy said. The county’s Capital Program, administered by the Department of Public Works, is comprised of more than 300 capital projects which seek to improve sewers, roads, parks and buildings.

Intense maintenance to keep that the park’s clay infields and natural grass outfields useable is the reason synthetic turf will be installed. “After a moderate rainfall, it is not uncommon for fields to be closed for many days due to the pooling of water,” she said. “This leads to the cancellation of many revenue generating games. Countywide, many of the major park facilities will be upgrading to synthetic turf because it drastically reduces maintenance costs, increases field use and therefore revenue and players love playing on these turf fields.”

Alan Krull, a coach for the Hewlett-Woodmere Little League, said the synthetic turf replacement is long overdue. The league’s teams practice and hold games at what he call Grant Park’s “half grass, half rock fields.”

“Now the fields are dangerous and kids get hurt,” he said. “Turf is an even surface and will cut down on injuries and parents will feel safer having their kids play there.”

In the meantime, the team would practice and play games at North Woodmere Park on Hungry Harbor Road, beginning on Sept. 10 as they are unable to play at the Grant Park fields this fall due to the anticipated four-month construction period, Krull said. “By the spring, the fields should be ready,” he said. “It’s well worth it to give up the fields for one season if in the long run the fields will be better to play on.”

Hewlett resident and former Hewlett-Woodmere Little League member, Patrick Clayton, 23, said he’s been playing baseball at Grant Park since he was 5-years- old. “Grant Park needs better fields,” he said. “They’ve never had a good field and I would love nothing more than to see the Little League team get a new field to play on.”