By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Those for and against the installation of FieldTurf filled the high school auditorium, demanding that their concerns be addressed and their questions answered by a panel comprising Robert Cascone, an architect who has built artificial-turn fields for seven Long Island school districts; Florence Frazer, an attorney; New York Schools Insurance Reciprocal representative Michael Drance; and Larry Bloom, the retired director of athletic facilities at Hofstra University, who oversaw the installation of three such fields during his 20 years at the college.
Residents expressed their concerns about how cost-effective artificial turf is, its environmental effect, the parking problems it might create and had how safe it is for student athletes to play on.
Bloom explained that the life span of FieldTurf is eight to 10 years, and that any repairs the field needed should be covered under its warranty. At Hofstra, he said, the fields are used 270 days a year, so a typical high school field would have less traffic, and most likely a longer life span. The only additional expenditure besides the field itself, Bloom said, is the equipment to clean it, which can cost as much as $10,000. The cleaning process takes no more than an hour and a half, he added, and needs to be done no more than once every three months.
"It is the best playing field you can get," Bloom said. "The field is nearly impervious to weather."
Bloom said that if a snowstorm hits, the field does not have to be plowed, because when the sun hits an uncovered area, the rubber fibers in the turf heat up and melt the snow.
Lynbrook resident Helene Messilaty, who is in favor of the new field, agreed with Bloom, saying she had seen the fields that have been installed in Rockville Centre, Oceanside and Hewlett. "We're paying big dollars for everything else - why not enhance our community?" Messilaty said. "You'll be thanking the people who donated the field when the winter comes."
Jim Vogt, founder of the Metropolitan Oval Foundation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to maintaining the Met Oval, a artificial-turf soccer field in Maspeth, Queens, said it costs his company $5,000 a year to maintain the field, while the upkeep of a grass field can cost $50,000 a year. "These fields revolutionize sports," Vogt said. "We need to embrace what is happening, because this is a great opportunity for the athletes in this community."
Another resident, Heather Hanson, said she welcomes the new field but is afraid of the impact it will have on the athletes. "Are there any more injury claims for athletes playing on the fields?" she asked. Drance said there had been no injury claims filed in the districts that have artificial-turf fields.
The biggest concern among residents opposed to the field appeared to be the environmental effects it would have on residents who live along its perimeter. Lynbrook resident Kerry O'Shaughnessy, who lives on Starks Place, on the school property's northeast boundary, said was upset that the panel did not include an environmental expert. "This is a love-fest!" O'Shaughnessy exclaimed. "Everyone on the panel is talking about the pros, but what are the cons?"
What concerned O'Shaughnessy is the surface's "infill" - a combination of ground tires, sneakers, rubber crumbs and sand that gives FieldTurf its cushioning - and the potential health risks it may pose. The moderator of the forum, Peter LaDuca, senior manager of health and safety training for Nassau BOCES, said the infill was approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and that no major governmental agencies have any concerns about it.
Nonetheless, the argument over FieldTurf's environmental impact grew so heated that School Superintendent Dr. Philip Cicero asked the rowdy crowd to respect one another's opinion. "If some of our kids saw how we were acting, they would be embarrassed," Cicero said.
Some residents who live near the middle school said they were afraid that other schools and organizations would use the field, limiting parking for residents in the neighborhood. Joe Vitale, founder of the Friends of Lynbrook Field Restoration Committee, the private residents group raising money for the field, responded that parking should be a secondary concern. "We did this for the kids," Vitale said. "We need to identify what we are doing for the kids and the school, and stop complaining about parking."
With the Board of Education still in its exploratory phase, the plan to install the field has not yet been approved. The next board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
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