Councilman David Jordan, liaison to the Recreation Department's Advisory Committee, reports that the Master Plan for Veterans’ Field is updated and approved by the Mayor and Council.

"Like all plans, it is flexible and can accommodate changes as we go, but the overall concept is in place", he said.

The advisory committee, chaired by Recreation Department Superintendent Trent Lumpkin, continues to contribute to the development of this long awaited, much needed project. Councilman Jordan brought the committee’s initial proposals to the Mayor and Council. He said these conceptual proposals were given to Architectural Landscape Architect Ed Snieckus, a partner in Burgis Associates, Inc., the borough’s community planning and development consultants.

The final plan evolved from reviews by the Mayor and Council members, the Recreation Committee, and the general public at open meetings.

The 20.6 acre park is the largest in the borough and the center for recreational and community activity.

Highlights of the plan are:

• Playing fields will be reconfigured to accommodate baseball, softball and two middle school soccer fields
• Locations of the tennis and basketball courts will be changed to bring the basketball courts nearer to the Community Center
• The playground will be moved closer to the river, beyond the parking lot, reducing the likelihood of small children running into the parking area
• The picnic grove will be closer to the river and the view of the George Washington Bridge.
  A new retaining wall and landscaping will establish the west border of the park along River Road
• A dog run is being considered for one of the parking lot medians, where it will be convenient for the public and will not replace human play areas
• A court practice area will be added to accommodate racquetball, handball, paddle ball, tennis and soccer practice activities
• Artificial Turf:
  A proposal Councilman Jordan enthusiastically brought to his colleagues on the Borough’s governing body is installation of artificial grass surfaces on the playing fields, but not the rest of the park and the Peace Garden. He said this type of surface, because of its uniformity and resilience, is safer than natural grass and enables the ground to be used more frequently during inclement periods.

Jordan said the artificial turf "has become the surface choice for sports fields, including that of Giants Stadium."  Jordan added, "It is popular with playgrounds because of its ability to absorb the force of falling children."

"A particular turf favored by the committee drains efficiently, making it well suited to our park, which is built on landfill. Low maintenance requirements significantly reduce costs" Jordan said.

In Fort Lee, in May, the council voted to provide up to $ 1.7 million to install artificial turf on the athletic fields at the Lewis F. Cole Middle School.

OTHER OPTIONS
No municipal decisions have been made in Edgewater on options for playing field surfaces, or the dog run and some other plans for the park. Because it is located directly on the river, there is some talk of changing the name of the park from Veterans Field to Riverfront Park.

-Councilman Jordan’s affinity for sports and recreation reflects his multifaceted background. He is a nationally-ranked athlete and a retired university professor of health and physical education who taught for 25 years at City University of New York.