Letter writer makes her case to halt construction on Memorial Field.
After attending the town council meeting on Sept. 10, I would urge all the soccer parents and players who feel the need to have Memorial Field “biggie-sized” to listen to the concerns of the residents of the densely populated neighborhoods that hug the field.
Although not one of the citizens voiced their support for the project at that meeting, they were unanimous in their support of organized sports. Yes, we skewed older age-wise, but I think it’s safe to say that all of us spent many years shuttling kids to games at every field in town.
This is a quality of life issue, not an anti-sports issue. So here’s some food for thought for advocates of change at Memorial Field:
1) Memorial Field is/was dedicated to the brave men and women who fought for our country. The families of those young men do NOT want to see those baseball fields repurposed, the memorial markers moved.
2) Church Street is already a nightmare, traffic-wise. Although a specific council member assured us citizens that traffic would not be impacted, it verges on ludicrous to believe this statement.
3) Pryor Field was lit well before the Moorestown Hunt community was built. Those homeowners knew what they were getting when they bought next to the playing fields. The residents next to Memorial Field did not sign up for stadium lighting and nighttime noise.
4) In the early Nineties, a petition signed by residents struck down the lighting of Memorial Field. It was an unpopular choice then as it is now.
5) This is a very densely populated area. None of the other fields have houses that sit practically on top of playing fields.
I would respectfully ask the township finds other ways to accommodate the sports teams without sacrificing the “quiet enjoyment” of those whose properties would be sorely impacted by any changes to Memorial Field.
Marsia Mason
