‘Turf’ War Erupts Over So-Called Dust Bowl in Cadman Plaza

The central lawn of Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn has sometimes been called “the dust bowl” because of the depression at its center, where ragged clumps of grass give way to hard earth that has been packed down from years of informal use as a ball field. Now a plan to replace the hole at the heart of the park with a perfectly flat carpet of bright green is drawing the ire of some park users because it would include a variety of synthetic turf similar to Astroturf.“If this happened, it would no longer be everything this place should be, a place for meditation, a respite,” said Janet Fischer, a Brooklyn Heights resident who walks her dog in the park. “It would become another plastic, concrete area that would offer no more support or rest.”The Cadman Plaza redesign plan could be the biggest test yet of the public’s willingness to see artificial turf replace natural grass in city parks. Over the past few years, the Parks Department has laid artificial turf in 44 parks in all five boroughs with little fanfare or notice. And there are plans to lay artificial grass in 35 more parks.A Parks spokesman, Ashe Reardon, said that Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe has embraced new varieties of synthetic grass that are more grass-like than traditional Astroturf and easier to maintain than natural grass. The spokesman said synthetic turf is about three times more costly than ordinary sod, but saves money in the long term because it needs replacement only every eight to 10 years.Cadman Plaza presents an unusual case, because it may be the first large, general-use lawn to be converted to artificial grass.Until now, the new turf has been installed mostly on ball fields and playgrounds. Last year, some Upper West Siders rallied to oppose its installation on baseball diamonds at Riverside Park near 103rd Street. Artificial grass has not yet been laid, despite the Parks Department obtaining all the necessary approvals.Officials say that if the lawn at Cadman Plaza is to remain open to everyone, artificial turf is the most affordable way to keep it green. Although park goers are often sparse in Cadman Plaza Park, the lawn gets heavy daily wear from commuters moving between Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO, schoolchildren playing soccer, and much use by dogs and their owners, who take them to Brooklyn Heights’ largest green space.The lawn also serves as the foreground to an enormous granite and limestone memorial to America’s World War II veterans. Some veterans expressed opposition to the plan at a Community Board Two hearing last spring.“It’s like an eternal flame, a symbol of the commitment that you have for the people who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said Robert Pater son, whose parents both served in World War II. Mr. Paterson has worked for the Army Corps of Engineers on monuments preservation. “When you think about the people who gave their lives for this country, there was nothing artificial about their sacrifice.”A City Council member, David Yassky, a Democrat who represents Brooklyn Heights, said that no disrespect is intended, and that the aim is simply to keep the lawn green while preserving its character.“I’m really just trying to continue the same use as today, which is people use it for ball playing, for walking dogs,” he said. “They don’t really use it for sitting out on at sunny day because it’s not really so nice to do that the way it is today. But I want people to understand, I’m not trying to change anything.”Ms. Fischer said the plan would change things by giving preference to athletes on a lawn that was not built for sports. “Something is not being maintained, and if the city budget for parks is inadequate, two wrongs still do not make a right,” she said.Opponents of synthetic turf formed a group, the Cadman Park Community Council, and started a petition drive to inform park users about the plan. The council does not favor any specific alternative to artificial grass, but one option under consideration is the creation of a conservancy that would fund the regular re-sodding of the lawn with real grass. Conservancies supported by local businesses and individuals have taken over some of the maintenance of Central and Prospect parks.Concerned park users say they will meet with Mr. Yassky and Parks officials later this month to discuss the plan. It’s unclear whether the synthetic turf is still negotiable.If the plan does go ahead, the lawn will first become several feet taller through infill, and then be covered with a sheath of artificial grass. Decorative trees and bushes will be planted around the perimeter, offering the only natural green on the lawn. There will be no painted goal lines.Other elements of the $2 million renovation are less controversial. The master plan calls for two flagpoles to be moved closer to the World War II Veterans Memorial, new flower beds by the Tillary Street entrance, and new plantings in the adjacent Walt Whitman Park.Synthetic turf got favorable reviews from adults sitting in the dugout in Van Voorhees Park, less than a mile from Cadman Plaza, where it recently replaced concrete.“It’s great. They don’t get hurt now,” said Margarita Sanchez, whose daughter was playing ball on a recent evening. “They can slide all they want.”Composed of individual plastic “blades” which mimic grass, today’s synthetic turf is less artificial-seeming than Astroturf, which was developed in the 1960s. Nevertheless, the synthetic grass in Van Voorhees Park could not be mistaken for real grass. It does not have the same cooling effect, and sometimes gives off a rubbery smell.The green polyethylene carpet of “grass” that rests on a bed of tiny black particles gives the field bounce and enables even better drainage than real grass, according to a Parks spokesman. The field already shows some signs of wear, with particles bubbling up from below the surface in some places.

‘Turf’ War Erupts Over So-Called Dust Bowl in Cadman Plaza

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