Politics & Government

Council Continues to Explore Kinnelon Field Options

Highlands Council said turf would be possible at KRP field only.

It wasn’t all bad news when two members and Mayor Bob Collins met with representatives of the and spoke about what the council can do with Kinnelon’s recreation fields and what they cannot do because of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) restrictions.

Councilman Jim Freda said they met on Nov. 21 and while the Highlands representatives said constructing an artificial turf field behind the Kinnelon Municipal Building or at the Boonton Avenue field would likely not receive DEP approval, the lower field at the Kinnelon Recreation Park would be an ideal location, they said.

Freda said the Highlands representatives thought the borough would have difficulty with those two fields because of the wetlands that surround the area.

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Freda had wanted to inquire about turf in the borough after poor conditions at the field behind the municipal building have caused concern for parents of kids participating in recreational sports. He has said that the borough spends a lot of money constantly repairing the fields and that turf may last longer and be safer for the kids.

Mike Elefonte, a coach and resident who has two sons and a daughter who utilize the fields, approached the Kinnelon Recreation Commission this summer to talk about the poor conditions and ask what can be done. Elefonte said there is large chunks of dirt and rocks on the field behind the municipal building.

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“They are just overtaxed with the usage of the various sports that utilize them,” he said.

Freda said a horticulturist visited the field last month and because the ground was so impacted, they were unable to penetrate the soil a half an inch.

“It’s so compacted from so many kids playing on that area,” Freda said. “In order for grass to grow, you need to stay off the grass. We don’t have that ability. “

Elefonte said he moved to the borough four years ago and noticed that the fields were inferior to those of other surrounding towns.

“We get visitors from other towns and we go to visit other facilities and their fields are far superior,” he said.

Freda said if the borough were to construct a turf field at KRP, while the kids are playing on that field the borough could work on the field behind borough hall.

“Even turfing KRP will allow us to close down the borough hall field and that whole field needs to be dug up and completely redone,” he said.

However, Freda said one problem he has with building a turf field at KRP is that there are no lights on that field.

“I have a problem turfing the field if there’s no lights there,” he said.

Freda said he will be recommending the council move forward with both the turf project and a lighting project at the field.

Elefonte said he thinks turf would be good for the borough’s children to play multiple sports on.

“I think it will be much safer,” he said. “Right now, I believe we’re being penny wise and dollar foolish by putting money into natural turf fields.”

Elefonte said he would also like to see beautification projects done at the fields in conjunction with local organizations. He plans to approach the recreation commission this month to inquire about forming a committee to look into placing flower baskets at the field and taking better care of trash baskets.

“We have to make it look inviting, we have to make it look like it’s presentable to people. We have to make sure it’s an impressionable field and facility for people visiting our community,” he said.

Freda said the Highlands representatives seemed to be receptive to helping the borough work on these projects in the future, but that the restrictions the borough faces are at times discouraging.

“It drives me crazy when I see our surrounding towns developing and gaining ratables and here’s Kinnelon saving all the water for them,” he said. 


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