HILLSDSALE—“In an effort to continually improve its athletic and recreational facilities, the Borough of Hillsdale authorized its engineering firm, Colliers Engineering, to proceed with design of a plan to upgrade its existing Centennial soccer and baseball fields.”
That’s according to a statement the borough sent to Pascack Press on Sept. 19, noting the more than $4 million plan includes a multi-sport synthetic turf field (football, soccer, lacrosse) on the current Harada soccer field; synthetic turfing of the Corra Little League Field; drainage improvement to the Knickerbocker/Roelle baseball field; upgraded lighting to energy-efficient LED; additional parking, a walking path, bleachers, and a new playground; and a dedicated area for food trucks.
The borough said the plan incorporates suggestions from its field subcommittee (councilmembers Anthony DeRosa, John Escobar and Abby Lundy), the Hillsdale Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Hillsdale sports associations whose volunteers help run multiple athletic programs for the Borough.
Presented to the Hillsdale mayor and council at their Sept. 13 meeting, the resolution passed by a vote of 5-0. Also voting yes were members Frank Pizzella and Janetta Trochimiuk.
Member Zoltán Horváth was absent for the vote, but criticized the development in a statement to Pascack Press on Sept. 19.
Located off Kinderkamack Road, the facility is on land once the town dump but converted to athletic fields in 2009. The council agreed in April to have Colliers provide due dilligence services regarding the Centennial field complex.
“Over the years, residents have complained about poor drainage on all three of Centennial’s fields. Fields in other parts of town are playable within a day of moderate rain, but Centennial can take three or more days until playable, causing cancellations and home games being played in other towns,” the borough said.
Pending permits, ground-breaking could begin in April 2023 and wrap by Labor Day, the council said.
Project proponent DeRosa said in the statement, “People choose to come to Hillsdale for various reasons [including] its outstanding school systems, easy access to bus and rail service, amenities like our Stonybrook Swim Club and our recreational facilities.”
He said, “It’s been a number of years since I coached on these fields, but the frustration of not being able to use them due to inadequate drainage is still fresh in my mind.”
DeRosa said, “More recently, residents have expressed that our recreational facilities aren’t on par with surrounding municipalities – some going as far as calling them an embarrassment.”
He said, “This council has listened to them and is now taking the steps to remedy this long-standing issue and create a facility that our children deserve and that all our residents can use and be proud of.”
On funding
Lundy said of the funding, “This is a much needed capital improvement for which municipal taxes were increased in 2021 for the down payment for the financing of the project. We anticipate being able to pay down this debt without any further tax increase attributed to this project.”
She said, “I don’t like to look at projects or expenditures on an individual basis since I can’t predict what the rest of the budget will look like or what increased expenses the borough might incur that could affect municipal taxes. There are always contractual and collective bargaining obligations and expenses that are beyond our control.”
She said, “The state is looking to increase health insurance for municipal employees by 20%. We will make every effort to minimize any municipal tax increase. There are so many positive things going on in town with redevelopment, grants, etc. that will help offset unforeseen or out-of-our-control increases.”
Horváth decries expense
In a letter to the editor that followed on the heels of the borough’s statement, Horváth wrote Pascack Press with sharply worded views about the council majority’s priorities and said taxpayers faced a variety of burdensome expenses.
Horváth voted for the April resolution authorizing Collers’ due-diligence work at Centennial. For his Sept. 19 letter, see our Sept. 26, 2022 editions.
Editor’s note: This web story was updated within minutes of receipt of Horváth’s letter; the original post, Sept. 19, did not have his remarks.