Addressed to: Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Executive, Darcy Belyea, Nassau County Parks Commissioner, Michael Giangregorio, Public Works and Parks Committee Chair

We are residents of the Five Towns and the greater Nassau County community, home to some of the highest property taxes in the entire country. In exchange for what we pay, we deserve recreational facilities that actually work for our families. Right now, North Woodmere Park is falling short.

The fields at North Woodmere are still dirt and grass. Any rain after 10am on a game day is enough to shut the fields down completely. In August alone this year, over 10 days were rained out at this park. Seasons that should be wrapping up in August are now stretching into September and October because there simply aren't enough playable days to finish on schedule. Meanwhile, other parks that are outside of the area, including Bay Park and Wantagh Park, have turf fields that stay playable right after a storm. Our kids and adult leagues are losing out on games, practices, and permits simply because our park hasn't been upgraded like the others around us.

It isn't just about rain outs. A short rainstorm, under 20 minutes, is enough to leave the fields flooded and unplayable for the rest of the day. That kind of flooding on a dirt and grass field is not something turf would allow.

The dirt infield at North Woodmere, especially on Field 1, also has a lip where the infield meets the outfield. It rises up and then drops off suddenly, and it has caused multiple sprained ankles and other injuries for infielders going back on pop ups. This is a real safety hazard that turf would eliminate.

There's also a missed opportunity in how the space is used. North Woodmere Park is large enough to fit three fields close together, but the current layout wastes a lot of that space. Parks like Baldwin have shown that if you angle the fields so the home plates converge toward a shared center point, you can fit an extra field into the same footprint. With turf, those fields could also be multi sport, supporting little league baseball and softball, adult baseball and softball, soccer, and football, all with nothing more than paint and markings. That means more use out of the park across the entire year, not just baseball season.

Turf fields also cost less to maintain over time and hold up to far more use than grass and dirt ever could. Fewer rain outs means fewer canceled permits and less money lost by the leagues and families who pay for them. It means a park that actually gets used instead of sitting empty because of weather.

We are asking Supervisor Ferretti and Commissioner Harkins to commit to converting the fields at North Woodmere Park to turf, and to explore reconfiguring the layout to add a third field, the same way it has been done successfully at Baldwin Park.

We pay some of the highest property taxes in the nation. We are simply asking for a park that reflects that investment.