Shunpike Turf Installation Nearly Complete

The installation of the turf field at Shunpike is nearly done, with major work completed and small steps to finish installation underway.

Some porous asphault has also been laid around the field, and the workers from Fredco Landscaping are laying the topsoil and preparing for the final steps. The crew has also begun construction on the access areas, according to Brian McNany, the director of Chatham Recreation.

After numerous delays from rain and snow, the crew is completing as much work as possible while the weather is clear. "With the anticipated weather we might be able to accomplish a lot," McNany said.

John Nonnenmacher, the liaison between the Joint Recreation Advisory Committee and the Board of Education, said that the opening ceremony for Shunpike is scheduled for May 21. "That was announced before all the rain," he said, "so I'm not quite sure if it's still on May 21."

Nonnenmacher said the Recreation Department was "cautiously optimistic" about the May 21 date for the opening ceremony. The turf fieds can be used for games soon after the field officially reopens. The grass fields would need to sit for a year before they can be used.

Maintenance of the turf field at Shunpike and the turf field at Lum Field could affect the cost of participating in recreational sports in the Chathams, according to Nonnenmacher and to Chatham Recreation Director Brian McNany.

Nonnenmacher said that the returfing of Lum Field alone could cost more than $750,000 within 10 years, and that the current participation fee of $5, which goes to pay for general maintenance, will not be enough to cover that expense.

McNany said that though no final decision has yet been made about participation costs, the Recreation Department is exploring options for funding the maintenance of two turf fields. "We are incorporating what our facility and maintenance costs entail and we'll come up with a determination ... to cover [the expenses of present and future] fees and costs," McNany said.

Nonnenmacher said the Advisory Committee had discussed possibly raising the cost of participation in recreation sports from $5 to $15 with the additional $10 going into a capital fund.

McNany said that right now the department is "entertaining the thought" of raising the fees, but that no official decision has been made.

Any raise in the recreation fees would need to be approved by Chatham Borough Council and the Chatham Township Committee.

The Chatham Borough Council will vote Monday night on a resolution appropriating $112,000 to the cost of installing lights at Shunpike. The money will come from the borough's capital fund balance.