Islamorada’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee is recommending the village council continue collaborating and negotiating through key issues over the Monroe County School District’s efforts to upgrade the Founders Park ballfield.
A majority of the committee members also approved a recommendation to council members to support an artificial turf surface instead of natural grass. The committee approved each recommendation via 7-1 vote at a July 10 meeting at the Founders Park Community Center.
Recommendations from the advisory committee to council came after a June 24 village workshop heard discussion over potential improvements to the baseball field, which detailed everything from new dugouts and a playing surface to a building for concessions. Residents took to the microphone to acknowledge their support, while others brought up various issues from the process to proposed upgrades.
The same night, school board members unanimously supported a conceptual plan of the improvements with a $6.1 million price tag.
Parks and Recreation committee members stuck to two issues over the ballfield project, as advised by Carolyn Wightman, committee chair: whether to recommend the council proceed with ballfield improvements, and if so, whether the playing surface should be turf or grass.
Committee member Jon Weare, a retired pediatrician, introduced a motion for the committee to recommend the council support artificial turf for the ballfield. Having spent four decades caring for children, Weare said, he spent several years considering the type of playing surface for the baseball field. While he acknowledged concerns with artificial turf for soccer, lacrosse and field hockey due to various sudden movements, he said artificial turf is a safe surface for baseball.
“I genuinely feel that this is the right decision for our baseball team, our community and young people in this community who we owe it to,” Weare said.
Before the vote, Pat Lefere, director of operations and planning for the school district, told advisory committee members that a natural grass surface in the Florida Keys is challenging to maintain at the quality level that athletic programs demand. Ballfield maintenance is carried out by the school district during the baseball season and by the village during the other months.
“It’s become insurmountable for a staff the size of the school distinct, village or (other) local municipalities to maintain to a professional level of quality, which is becoming the expectation,” Lefere said.
Doug Mientkiewicz, former Major League Baseball player and Coral Shores High School baseball coach, said he’s never seen a baseball player blowing his knee out while playing on turf. Mientkiewicz has said his son injured his knee playing on the natural grass surface at the Founders ballfield. The injury resulted in his son playing out the rest of his high school career at Key West.
Not all public speakers backed the idea of artificial turf at the ballfield. Barry Wray, longtime running coach and executive director for the Florida Keys Environmental Coalition, said issues over the playing surface are more of an engineering problem. He also noted a vast majority of MLB teams play on natural grass.
“We’re supposed to be representing the green of the world. We want to see plastic bags eradicated from retail outlets. We want to be what Islamorada and the Florida Keys are supposed to be,” he said.
Resident Cheryl Culberson said the use of turf won’t be as cost-efficient long term. She also noted that it’s not as fun to slide on.
“This is a green community, not a plastic community,” she said.
Mientkiewicz and coach Tony Hammon noted the expense to maintain a natural grass field to professional level involves more dedicated manpower and anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million annually. Rich Russell, advisory committee member and Coral Shores High School administrator, identified several environmentally-friendly artificial turf options like coconut fiber and plant-based backings.
Serving as the home for Coral Shores High School baseball, the field also plays host to youth league practices as noted by Maria Bagiotti, village parks director. Specifically, the outfield is used for practices for organizations including the Florida Keys Soccer Club, Upper Keys Youth Lacrosse, Little League and youth flag football. The park also runs a co-ed kickball league. The field also sees general recreational use.
“We need more field space. It’s difficult for us now to maintain our field because of all the uses,” Bagiotti said.
Funds to cover upgrades to the ballfield and additional amenities on village property will be covered by the school district, as stated in an agreement between the two groups. Other aspects of the project, such as proposed facilities and use of the field by the school and community, will be discussed at future meetings.
At the request of Islamorada Mayor Sharon Mahoney, a survey is available for residents to voice their input on the Founders Park baseball field conceptual plan.
Click here to fill out the survey.
