Turf Wars: Should the New Driscoll School Have Synthetic Turf or Grass?
Proposed legislation would ban new turf in Brookline for three years
Under proposed legislation before Town Meeting, Brookline would ban the installation of new, synthetic turf for three years.
This would mean that the New Driscoll School would have a grass playing field.
Article 24 in the warrant, or compendium of proposed legislation, includes the following:
The Town of Brookline shall neither install nor authorize or allow the installation of synthetic/artificial turf on any property owned by the Town, for a period of three years from the effective date of this moratorium.
Would you like to publish an opinion on Warrant Article 24?
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Members of the public can contact Brookline Town Meeting Members to express views on proposed legislation by accessing the spreadsheet of contact information, including email addresses, that the Town of Brookline publishes on the Town Meeting section of its website.
In the Combined Reports, a compilation of information and recommendations, the petitioners include the following in their explanation of the proposal:
The justification for plastic turf fields is that they allow greater playing time with less maintenance. However the town has not assessed the true costs of plastic turf, including both the health and environmental costs and the real economic costs compared to viable organic alternatives.
In contrast, the Park and Recreation Commission writes:
The Park and Recreation Commission has strong opposition to a moratorium on installing synthetic turf in Brookline. Based on current information and information outlined in the Athletic Fields Needs Assessment and Master Plan, the Commission feels that the strategic placement of synthetic turf fields in town should be part of how we work to meet the overwhelming demands for our limited athletic fields. There is an increase in the overall desire to be outside and recreating. There is an increase in both adult and youth users. There is an increase in the school population that relies on these fields for physical education, recess, and after-school play.
The School Committee writes:
The School Committee was divided on whether to support a moratorium on installing new artificial turf surfaces. Multiple School Committee members expressed concern for the toxicity of synthetic chemicals, such as PFAS, utilized in artificial turf surfaces, and the health risks that such chemicals could pose to students, the community, and the environment.
Other concerns included the hotter surface temperatures of synthetic turf compared to natural grass, potential groundwater contamination, and the broader climate change impact from the manufacture of synthetic turf.
On the other hand, some School Committee members noted that the science is not entirely clear yet as to the scope and severity of potential medical harm to individuals, and that artificial turf surfaces allow for greater playing time with less regular maintenance.
Absent synthetic surfaces, children would not be able to play as much outside due to the tendency of natural grass to become water logged and/or erode into uneven dirt patches, thereby leading to field closures, a problem which would become further exacerbated by a moratorium on new artificial turf surfaces. Some School Committee members expressed concern about children’s social- emotional well-being from less time outside on fields, and how it would be inequitable insofar as children from more affluent families could still play at non-town/school private fields not readily accessible to those of lower economic means.
The Advisory Committee writes:
VOTED:
To refer the subject matter of Article 24 to the Athletic Field Surface Task Force, appointed pursuant to Article 23 at the 2022 Annual Town Meeting, with the understanding that maintenance or replacement of synthetic/artificial turf that has been installed and is existing prior to the adoption of this resolution, including, but not limited to, the artificial turf fields at Skyline Park and at Soule Recreation, is permitted.
Article 23 is a non-binding (but potentially persuasive) resolution to:
[a]ppoint an Athletic Field Surface Task Force, consisting not only of a few Parks and Recreation Commission members, but also other community and staff members that bring diverse perspectives such as athletics, recreation, the Public Schools of Brookline, environment/climate, toxicology, risk assessment, public health, children’s socioemotional and physical development, capital planning, and perhaps other domains…
It is unclear when Town Meeting will vote on Articles 23 and 24.
Town Meeting begins tonight, Tuesday, May 24.
Typically, the debate and vote on the Town budget, which includes the budget for the Public Schools of Brookline as well as for all other Town departments, consumes much of the first night of the spring/annual Town Meeting.
This local debate mirrors debates about turf vs grass across the state and country:
https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2022/05/23/turf
https://denver.cbslocal.com/2022/05/18/colorado-artificial-turf-rain-snow/
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/03635465211069562
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/03/climate/las-vegas-lawn-grass-ban.html
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