Bernardsville Presents 2 Plans for Funding Upper Polo Turf Field

The Bernardsville Council on Monday laid out two alternatives for funding a synthetic turf field at the Upper Polo Grounds municipal property, introducing a bond ordinance that would allow the borough to borrow $1.2 million if voters turn down another proposal to use money instead from the open space fund.

The bond ordinance is scheduled to come up for a final council vote and public hearing at the next Borough Council meeting on Aug. 12.

Also on Aug. 12, borough officials are planning to present a proposed referendum to ask voters if the money should come from the open space fund. The turf field, if built, would be installed over an existing grass field at the borough-owned property off Seney Drive.

"I am not in favor of raiding the open space acquisition fund, but I understand there are different feelings," said Rosalie Ballantine, a member of the borough Environmental Commission.

On Monday, some parents involved in borough recreational programs said that officials have promised that improved fields would be installed in past years.

Gary Tantleff, who coaches Somerset Hills 12-year-old baseball, said a turf field over a grass field would increase playing time for the teams. "We lose a lot of practices," Tantleff said.

Chestnut Avenue Terry Byrne, who said that he is concerned a "sports complex" is being established near his home, said he had played on wet fields when growing up.

Byrne said he feels some "bullying" tactics are being used to make sure the Upper Polo turf field will be built.

Mayor Lee Honecker said he had believed that Byrne had opposed a proposal for a different turf field, the so-called Chestnut field, that would have been built on borough property behind the Bernardsville Middle School. That plan died on the vine when the borough and Somerset Hills Regional School district, which would have funded the field, failed to reach a use agreement.

"No one wants it [a field] directly in their back yard," Byrne said.

"This turf field is needed," resident Patty DeLeo said . She said that teams lose practices now in wet weather and Bernards has been producing some outstanding athletic programs that allow students to win scholarships.

She said she agreed with other speakers that athletic programs keep kids out of trouble — and owners who bought a home in the vicinity of a school should realize they might end up with such facilities nearby.

Toward the end of the meeting, Ballantine and Sherry Frawley, chair of the environmental commission, pointed out that there is an open space plan recently finished and soon to be presented to the borough planning board. That plan identifies specific properties in town that could add to the borough's open space holdings, connecting some of the properties, Ballantine said.

Both pointed out that land in Bernardsville is expensive.

"When this open space plan comes down the pike, we will need every penny," Frawley said.

Just a week before, the Environmental Commission had approved a resolution — noted on Monday's council agenda — that had called upon the Borough Council to take no more than 20 percent of the annual tax revenues from the borough open space tax fund allowed for development and maintenance of recreational properties.

Borough Attorney John Pidgeon said state law would allow the funds — raised each year through a 2-cent charge on borough property tax bills — to be used for development and maintenance.

However, Councilman Joe Rossi said the 20 percent ratio can be changed.

A non-binding referendum was turned down by voters last year, but other proposals for fields presented this year also have met with disapproval by some members of the public.