HILLSDALE—A proposal to seek alternate bids for field lighting at Memorial Field was voted down April 15 after Mayor Michael Sheinfield broke a 3–3 council tie, opposing the motion.
The field is slated for a $5.8 million upgrade that does not include lighting, though some council members expressed interest in understanding the true cost of installing lights during the renovation.
Councilmembers Janetta Trochimiuk and Melissa Mazza-Chiong supported the idea of requesting an alternate bid, saying they wanted a clearer picture of whether cost was the primary reason the field would go unlit.
“If we don’t have a clear picture, then how do we really know [the cost of adding lights]?” said Mazza-Chiong.
At the March 11 council meeting, members had decided not to include field lighting in the renovation project, citing an estimated $1.5 million price tag and concerns raised by nearby residents about light pollution and quality of life.
The council did, however, vote to install conduit under the turf to allow for lighting installation in the future.
The $5.8 million renovation was approved on March 11 and includes a $4.6 million bond, to be repaid through annual revenue from the Field Improvement Fund, and a $1.2 million down payment from the same fund. Officials said no additional tax increase would be necessary. Trochimiuk and Councilmember John Ruocco voted against the project.
On April 15, Trochimiuk, Mazza-Chiong, and Councilmember Justin Fox voted in favor of seeking an alternate lighting bid. Ruocco, Robert Colletti Jr., and Clemente Osso voted against. Sheinfield opposed the bid, citing the projected $1.5 million cost of lighting.
Two residents, Chip Morrell and Kristin Martin, spoke at the meeting in opposition to field lighting. At two earlier meetings, several dozen residents expressed similar concerns, citing light pollution, quality of life issues, and potential impacts on property values.
The council also approved a $248,500 contract with Colliers Engineering & Design for professional services related to the Memorial Field improvements.
According to the contract, proposed upgrades include synthetic turf baseball and softball fields, a synthetic turf rectangular field, basketball courts, walking paths with decorative lighting, parking areas, seating areas, coaches’ boxes, a storage shed, picnic areas, retaining walls, utility and drainage upgrades, site amenities, a future playground area, landscaping, and restoration.
Osso raised questions about the project’s timeline, stressing the importance of having a “playable field” by April 1, 2026, when the George White School field will be covered by temporary classrooms. He questioned the projected 150-day design timeline. Engineer Nick Chelius said the schedule would be expedited as much as possible, and Borough Administrator Mike Ghassali said he would develop a timetable working backward from the April 1, 2026 deadline.
Chelius noted that a mild winter would help accelerate progress, though weather remains a key factor. Ghassali added that the field committee hoped to decide on a specific turf type within the next month.