Ferguson supervisors discuss artificial turf

At its meeting Monday night, the Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors was hesitant to green light a project involving artificial turf without more information.

The State College Area Teener League and Troy Allen, of Own the Plate Baseball Academy, approached Ferguson Township about the possibility of replacing the infields at S & A Field at the Louis E. Silvi Baseball Complex with artificial turf.

Allen said artificial turf would be beneficial for several reasons, including preventing balls from taking bad hops and potentially hurting players; better drainage; and cost over time.

Though the upfront cost of installing artificial turf is more than replacing the natural field, Allen said that in the long run, artificial turf would be more cost-effective because it would require less maintenance than a natural field and wouldn’t need to be replaced as often.

The league and township have a partnership that allows the league to use the field in exchange for park maintenance, according to the Ferguson Township website.

Dave Martin, director of operations at A-Turf Inc., told the board about the process of installing the artificial turf and what materials are used.

While there are different options — including organic ones — for what infill is used for artificial turf, the least expensive is crumb rubber made from recycled truck tires, Martin said.

Concerns have been brought up that the infill could cause cancer, but Martin said several studies have been conducted that seem to dispel that worry.

A federal study is underway to review the effects of artificial turf on athletes’ health, and the board indicated it would be interested in the results of that study.

Supervisor Laura Dininni said she feels uncomfortable making a decision without more information. She also asked how much of a burden the project of installing artificial turf would be on the taxpayers.

The league is “not asking for a dime” from the township, Allen said. The league would try to fundraise and apply for grants to support the project.

Those costs would also include the stormwater management.

Township Manager Mark Kunkle said prior to the meeting that before the league even began looking for funding, it wanted the board to OK the plan.

Aside from health concerns, there are remaining concerns dealing with stormwater management and materials going into the waterway, said Supervisor Peter Buckland.

He said he wants to be “thoughtful, cautious and protective.”

The board postponed the vote to approve the installation of artificial turf until a later time when it has more information.

In other business

▪ The board authorized a letter of support to Halfmoon Township for state departments of Conservation and Natural Resources and Community and Economic Development funding to develop Autumn Meadow Park.

▪ The board approved a motion to add $5,000 to the oak wilt fund due to the recent case of the disease affecting a tree on Cherry Ridge Road in Park Hills. Previously, the board had approved $25,000 to deal with oak wilt, but only $4,000 was left after dealing with that case.

Oak wilt is a fungus that causes the leaves at the top of the trees to turn brown and fall, according to Penn State Extension. This then progresses down the tree. The fungus attacks most oaks, but it particularly affects those in the red oak group.

This story was originally published October 4, 2016 at 6:25 PM with the headline "Ferguson supervisors discuss artificial turf."