Members of the Friends of Brookside Park on Thursday submitted to the Scotch Plains Township Clerk petitions signed by 2,050 registered Scotch Plains voters to put Bond Ordinance No. 2023-7 authorizing changes to Brookside Park on the ballot for voters to decide at the polls. The bond ordinance appropriates $3,819,000 to cover the cost of various changes to the park.

The petitions were presented within the required 20 days of the publication of the bond ordinance. The number of signatures required for a referendum is 1,408, which is 15% of the number of votes cast in Scotch Plains at the most recent general election at which members of the General Assembly were elected. The number of signatures collected by the Friends of Brookside Park exceeds this requirement by 642 signatures.

The bond ordinance appropriates $3,819,000 to cover the cost of various changes to Brookside Park.

Most of the $3.8 million bond ordinance is earmarked for the baseball field and includes the removal of the existing natural grass field and its replacement with artificial turf.

The artificial turf plan is in direct conflict with council members' previous assurances to maintain the natural setting. It is also in conflict with the results of the 2020 Master Plan survey in which town residents consistently prioritized natural settings and walking areas (47%) over artificial turf (12%). 

Brookside Park is one of the few natural park areas in Scotch Plains. It is used by many for walking, pickleball, baseball, picnics, parties, summer camp for township children, the playground, birdwatching, yoga and general enjoyment of nature and the outdoors.

Turfing the field has implications for the park, participants of activities therein and the community as a whole:

-potentially introduces "forever chemicals" to the natural environment and the Winding Brook which feeds into the Middlesex Reservoir and the Rahway River, a source of drinking water for 26,500 people.

-creates concerns about unknown environmental impacts to the surrounding habitat (runoff of pellets into the brook, flooding, wildlife, removal of natural green space)

-has the potential to raise the temperature of the field by up to 30 degrees in summer heat. (potentially affecting ball players, summer camp attendees, others  and  surrounding plant life)

-has the potential to increase car traffic on Hetfield Ave. and the need for additional parking

-interference with the peaceful, natural refuge the park provides for the entire community

While improvements to the park's drainage, ballfields and walking paths have our full support, this petition is meant to show that as a community we feel turf is an unnecessary part of the Brookside Park Improvement Plan.