East Meadow Soccer Club hopes dreams come true

Officials from Nassau County and the East Meadow Soccer Club are considering renovating the Field of Dreams soccer complex on the north side of Salisbury Park Drive. 

The facility, a county storm water basin that was partially converted into athletic fields in 1998, serves as the soccer club’s home, where it practices and plays its games. At a community forum at Bowling Green Elementary School on May 12, county and soccer officials said that the installation of lights, an artificial-turf field, handicapped-accessible viewing areas and new bathrooms and concession stands are among the improvements being considered. 

“This is the kind of job that once done and completed, it’s going to benefit your children’s children and their children,” said EMSC Vice President Steve Epstein. “It’s going to provide a place for children to play for years to come.”

The club’s president, Eric Schwartz, said that the addition of lights and artificial turf would help extend playing time at the facility until about 9:30 or 10 p.m. The lights would be directional, officials said, which would limit their impact on areas outside the field. 

Schwartz noted that parents of club athletes chip in close to $100,000 to rent out practice and game time at other lighted fields. “This is about the kids,” he said. “It’s going to open up lots of possibilities.”

The lights, along with other improvements, he said, would also enhance public safety at the facility, which has become known for underage drinking and illegal activities after nightfall. A relief station for police officers could be constructed to add a law-enforcement presence and discourage trespassers. 

“These are the kinds of things we want to do to make the environment safe for us and for the community,” Schwartz said. 

Bob Dwyer, deputy commissioner of the county Department of Parks and Recreation, compared the proposed improvements to past projects he has worked on, including the Town of Oyster Bay’s Walker Park in Hicksville. Dwyer said that County Executive Ed Mangano and his administration have made improving county parks a priority. “The county administration is dedicated to bringing our parks back,” Dwyer said. 

The field-improvement project, which officials said could cost an estimated $3 million to $4 million, would be paid for with county capital project funds from 2010 and, if approved by the County Legislature, 2011. 

At the community forum, Bowling Green’s all-purpose room was filled with parents and club volunteers, many of whom offered their support for the project. Dwyer said that the field would have positive impacts on the surrounding community, and emphasized that a crucial aspect of undertaking such a project is gaining support from neighbors.

“The biggest thing about a project like this is community support,” he said. “We are not going to impede on the quality of life of those residents.”

County Legislator Norma Gonsalves, a Republican from East Meadow who hosted the forum, said she would have preferred more participation from nearby residents. “I was hoping to hear from the people who lived in the community to get their input as far as the project was concerned, and unfortunately it didn’t happen to the degree that I would have liked it to happen,” Gonsalves said. “If the community is for it, then I will be for it.”