Irvington Schools to Form ‘Fields Project Committee’

The following press release is from the Irvington Union Free School District:

The Irvington Board of Education has announced that it is seeking community volunteers to serve on a Fields Project Committee.

The Board of Education has established a ‘baseline,’ or minimum set of needs for East Field and Meszaros Field and the Oley Track that would restore these resources to their historic condition, which includes grass playing surfaces. Now, the Board is seeking direct community input on whether these fields should be enhanced through the installation of artificial playing surfaces and lights.

The committee will review the baseline minimum need established by the Board and provide a report about possible enhancements that include artificial surfaces and lights. Committee members should expect to meet at least three times over a several-week period with the district's architects and engineers, along with district staff, to investigate possibilities, ask questions and finalize a report.

“What we have tried to do with our process is to establish that at the very least, the fields need to be improved to a state of satisfactory condition,” said Board of Education President Bob Grados. “At a minimum, this means two grass fields. Should there be alternatives? That’s what we want to hear from the community, and we think this committee will help generate the input.”

Dr. Kris Harrison, Superintendent of Schools, noted that the East Field improvement stems from the need to address the non-native fill that was discovered last year. This is being done under the guidance of the State’s Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health. “It is incontrovertible that East must be addressed,” he said. “And when you look at the condition of Meszaros Field and the track, these, too, cannot be ignored, as both are in degraded condition, often making them unplayable or unsuitable for competition.”

Committee applicants should have experience in facility planning, construction, finance, or local civic matters and MUST be able to attend meetings that typically will be conducted in the evening and perhaps on a Saturday morning. Responses are requested no later than January 30, and those who are interested can visit www.IrvingtonSchools.org to complete the necessary application.

The Board of Education reserves the right to limit the committee’s size to manageable proportions and to determine committee composition based on relevant experience.

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Further reading:

Artificial Turf Among Options for Irvington School District Fields