HILLSDALE, N.J.—Installation of artificial turf at Memorial Field began Sept. 1 and was expected to take about two weeks, with parking lot paving and landscaping to follow later in the month, Borough Engineer Nick Chelius said.
The work is part of the borough’s more than $6 million Memorial Field improvement project, which officials expect to complete by late September or early October.
Administrator Mike Ghassali said officials were considering dates in early October for a grand opening ceremony.
Applied Landscape Technologies of Montville won the project contract at a special council meeting on Oct. 30, 2025, with a bid of $5,729,779.34.
By mid-July, council-approved changes, including change orders Nos. 7 through 12 totaling $64,397, had brought the reported project cost to $6,033,586.80. That figure did not include approximately $500,000 in “soft costs,” such as engineering, Ghassali said at the time.
Ghassali has said the additional costs above the original $5.8 million project would not require a tax increase. Since 2021, the borough has allocated $500,000 annually to a field improvement account. About $1.2 million from that account, combined with $4.6 million in bonding, will finance the park upgrades.
Chelius said parking lot paving was expected to begin Sept. 21, after the turf installation was completed. The work must be done in that order because heavy equipment used during the turf installation could damage a newly paved surface, he said.
Crews also will install grass pavers for an emergency access drive and complete additional landscaping.
Chelius cited “some non-ideal weather over the last couple weeks” but said the contractor was working to keep the project on schedule.
Colliers Engineering & Design has had personnel at the site almost every day to address problems as they arise, Chelius said. The firm will conduct a “final walk-through” with the contractor before the project is completed.
Chelius said any last-minute issues should be “relatively minor” and that there was still time to “make tweaks” to the landscaping plan, including the selection of trees.
Council members raised questions about whether the trees would provide sufficient shade and how the site’s natural grass would be watered.
Chelius said the borough should consider installing an irrigation system in the future. Conduit has been placed beneath the emergency access drive to accommodate a possible system, he said. In the meantime, “long hoses and sprinklers” should provide adequate irrigation for the natural grass.
Playground surface discussed
Councilor John Ruocco said the Finance Committee considered whether to install rubber mulch beneath the planned ADA-accessible playground and replace it with the preferred rubber padding next year.
The committee recommended installing the padding initially rather than placing a foot of rubber mulch that would have to be removed later, Ruocco said. Committee members also favored installing the padding and swings this year.
Chelius said officials were investigating potential safety concerns associated with using artificial turf on the playground.
Ghassali said rubber padding would add approximately $54,000 to the project cost. Officials hoped to decide soon which underlayment to use, he said. The playground equipment has already been delivered and is ready for installation.
Traffic and school safety
In other business, Mayor Michael Sheinfield said “a lot of people” living along Patterson Street were concerned about speeding. An electronic sign has been placed along the road to remind motorists of its 25 mph speed limit.
Sheinfield said he asked Ghassali about installing speed bumps but was told they could interfere with snowplowing. He suggested removable rubber speed bumps as a possible alternative, along with increased enforcement. Officials did not indicate whether either type of speed bump would be installed.
Police Chief Travis Woods said vehicles navigating the S-curve on Patterson Street can appear to be traveling faster than the posted speed limit. However, a traffic study conducted about a month earlier found that 99% of motorists were complying with the limit, he said.
Woods said police would target the area for future speed enforcement.
Councilwoman Melissa Mazza-Chiong raised a separate safety concern at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Kinderkamack Road. She suggested assigning a crossing guard or improving monitoring for young bicyclists traveling through the intersection, particularly on school days.
Mazza-Chiong said the intersection has no blinking warning light and is “dangerous” for bicyclists. She said she planned to raise the issue again with the council’s police committee.
She also asked whether the borough would hire a Class III special law enforcement officer for St. John’s Academy during the coming school year.
Woods said interviews were conducted Sept. 1 and that police planned to meet with academy officials. He said the borough hoped to have an officer in place by early October.
The school will continue using a private security company until the officer is hired, Woods said. Sheinfield said St. John’s Academy will reimburse the borough for the officer’s salary and benefits.]