Got sports?
Pelham Bay Park sure does, so much in fact, the turf field located in the center of the track is in need of a make over.
According to Kenneth Kearns, district manager of Community Board 10, a free standing request was made by the community board to allocate funds to replace the turf.
“The field gets a lot of use from the Warrior Football Club and well as the Gaelic Football Club,” Kearns said. “And it is torn up as a result of it.”
Kearns said the current condition of the field has started to cause problems for the players and the coaches who use it.
“Things that are used on a consistent basis, as that field is, get torn up and we need money to replace them,” he said. “The last time we replaced it was about a year and a half ago.”
The turf is supposed to have a fairly long shelf life, but according to Kearns, over use can tear it up more quickly.
Zachary Feder, a press officer for the New York City Parks Department, said the department has recommended that CB 10 request $750,000 for the revamping of the turf.
“We have estimated that the cost will be $750,000,” Feder said. “We gave that number to Community Board 10 and they will look for someone to allocate those funds.”
Pelham Bay Park administrator Marianne Anderson said she will continue work with the community to find available funding.
“The synthetic turf field at the Aileen B. Ryan Recreation Complex has provided years of recreation and exercise to local soccer and football players, and is regularly maintained by parks staff,” Anderson said. “We support the Community Board 10 request for funding to reconstruct this field, and will continue to maintain the field and work with the community to find available funding.”
