The following letter was addressed to the Rye City Council and forwarded to the paper for publication.
I have written in the past to make known our opposition to the installation of synthetic turf at Nursery Field. As we were out of town and unable to attend the June 14 Council meeting, I am writing again now to reiterate our opposition to the plan and to spending another $150,000 on construction drawings for a synthetic field.
We all have a financial and environmental responsibility to this town — its current residents and all its future residents — to care for the fiscal and environmental health of the City of Rye. The installation of a synthetic turf facility at Nursery Field or any further spending on the consideration of such does not fulfill these responsibilities. In fact, it stands in direct opposition to them.
Consider this investment as you would any coming directly and entirely from your own pocket. We owe that to each and every taxpayer in this community, and to all the future taxpayers who will one day and in some measure bear the consequences of all our decisions today. There are financially sound alternatives, and they should be the subject of any further discussions concerning Nursery Field.
As for the larger environmental concerns, no discussion of this proposal would be complete without acknowledging that much of our coastline is home to highly sensitive estuaries. We live in a beautiful place; we should enjoy it. We should also accept that we need to care for it. Building a synthetic turf field in a floodplain and so close to Blind Brook is not a responsible act.
Most residents in this town care deeply about the environmental crisis that we are living through and actively worry about the world that we’re leaving to our kids. Each small project at the local level is a chance to put that care and commitment into practice. Each is a chance to walk the walk.
Imagine if this field were next door to your own home, as if this would directly impact your property and the health of your family. Because, honestly, eventually everything will.
