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Northern Manhattan has something many other neighborhoods don’t. The Cloisters? Yes. A rich history? True. A budding arts community? Certainly.
And a plethora of grass fields.
While many other neighborhoods have had their grass fields replaced with artificial turf in the past ten years, Washington Heights and Inwood have stuck to grass for the most part.
In 1998, the Department of Parks and Recreation installed the first synthetic turf field in a city park at Chelsea Park.
Philip Abramson of the Parks Department said Parks tends to use turf for high impact sports, like football and soccer, while keeping grass for lower impact sports, like baseball and softball. Inwood Hill Park’s soccer fields stand as one of the exceptions.
According to Abramson, one of the main reasons for installing turf fields is for their durability and longevity: a synthetic turf field can last eight to 10 years when used heavily. A grass field requires rest, reseeding, and extensive maintenance, and may last about five years, even with proper care. Cost-wise, turf fields cost between $600,000 and $1 million to install, while grass fields cost $700,000 and require greater expenses in maintenance.
However, turf fields may have some downsides.
Turf fields may contribute to the heat island effect, the phenomena of a metropolitan area like New York City becoming significantly warmer than the surrounding region, due in part to the thermal conductivity of materials used in cities: pavement, concrete, and asphalt.
Alyson Beha of New Yorkers for Parks said her organization’s main message about turf fields is that they’ve only been around the city for the last decade.
“They were laid down prior to testing,” said Beha. “We don’t feel it’s good policy to do it before it’s tested.”
Because of this, New Yorkers for Parks put out its first report card on artificial turf last June.
New Yorkers for Parks found that when turf fields were in bad shape, it usually had more to do with poor installation than with maintenance. According to Beha, the New York City Parks Department is the largest municipal artificial turf buyer in the country. She thinks Parks could use that power to influence the industry to create a sturdier product.
Some concerns have also been raised about the health effects of artificial turf, though none have been substantiated as of now.
Synthetic turf is made from a layer of plastic sheeting, a layer of crushed stones, a layer of plastic strands resembling grass, and crumb rubber infill made from recycled tires. The crumb rubber in turf contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
According to the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the potential for chemical exposure is very low. Research studies so far have indicated that any adverse health effects of being exposed to the low levels of PAHs and VOCs in turf are unlikely.
Turf fields may also bring a different aesthetic to a particular place.
“Often turf fields are not as attractive for users who are going for the nature aspect,” said Beha.
So how has Northern Manhattan managed to keep its grass fields when other parts of the city haven’t?
The answer is unclear.
Abramson said that the decision to turn a field from grass to turf is “made on a case-by-case basis, often after consulting with an area’s elected officials and community board.” The Parks Department tends to place turf fields over former asphalt lots, or “dust bowls” where grass wouldn’t grow.
Beha said that she does not know what the Parks Department’s criteria are for turning a field to turf.
“We would love to see that made public,” said Beha.
Northern Manhattanites may have an opportunity to influence decisions about whether local fields are kept grass or eventually turned to turf.
Beha went on to say that there is a component of the Northern Manhattan Parks Master Plan for input on whether fields are grass or turf.
Of the Northern Manhattan Parks Master Plan, Beha said, “It is the most coordinated public outreach I’ve seen in a long time.”
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