Last Summer, the Cambridge City Council approved the City Manager's request for a budget to revitalize Ahern Field.  Additional durable, safe, and dependable athletic fields are needed to meet the demand in Cambridge and in addition there are no quality athletic fields in East Cambridge. Vocal opposition is now threatening to derail the project. 

Healthy children need access to safe, reliable places to play—every day, all year.

·       Kids need 60 minutes of daily activity for physical and mental health

·       Youth sports reduce anxiety, improve academics, and builds lifelong healthy habits

·       The biggest risks today are inactivity, isolation, and lack of community—not turf

Ahern Field in Cambridge, MA should be revitalized to maximize access, for all children and and all Cambridge Youth Sports, not limit it.

 

 

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THE PLAN:

A: The Ahern Revitalization Project includes modern field turf installation for multiple sports including Youth Baseball/Softball, Flag Football, Lacrosse, , Soccer and other field sports.

 

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B: Resurfaced Basketball Court and Resurfaced Street Hockey Rink

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

C: New Playground Features and Water Play (Alternate Designs)  and full park improvements to playgrounds, paths, trees, and plantings!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE REASONS:

1.) The Design for a Revitalized Ahern Field Project Includes:

• Premium surface on playing fields featuring a high-quality synthetic surface (visit Danehy 4 to sample)
• Lines for multiple sports and use including Little Leage Baseball/Softball, Flag Football, Lacrosse and Soccer
• Manufacturing without adding harmful pfas chemicals
• Safe organic infill, not crumb rubber.
• Cooler Technology: Engineered to be significantly cooler than traditional synthetic fields by 20°
• Resurfaced basketball court and street hockey rink
• Complete rehabilitation of the entire Ahern Park includes improvements to playgrounds, paths, trees, and plantings
• Independent certification evaluating material health, environmental impact and product recyclability

2.)     This is about play: youth health depends on access to play –This is a public health decision, not a landscaping choice.

3. )     “Keep It Green” = Keep It Closed

4.)     Field turf is  safe  with injury rates superior to worn out grass fields.

5.)     This is an access and equity issue, not a preference debate–Grass = limited access 

6.)     Smart Public Investment–If we’re spending millions, we should build something that gets used every day. Synthetic turf supports thousands of hours of use per year (3,000+ hrs / 12 months) vs. hundreds for grass (600-800 hrs / 8 months)

ACTION STEPS:

Your signature indicating your support for a completely revitalized Ahern Field including a multiuse synthetic turf can make this vision a reality.

The new revitalized Ahern Park will be a transformational addition to East Cambridge, bolstering community spirit and participation.

The solution is both clear and critical: a modern, durable and safe synthetic turf for Ahern Field with complete rebuild and redesign of all other park features.