HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/02/2025 - Melinda Perrone Email 4/3/25,8:47 AM Town of North Andover Mail-Cochichewick Brook Meets Synthetic Turf w/Crumb Rubber
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Jean Enright<jen rig ht@northandoverma.gov>
Cochichewick Brook Meets Synthetic Turf w/ Crumb Rubber
perrone14family@gmail.com <perrone14family@gmail.com> Wed,Apr 2, 2025 at 6:16 PM
To: Jean Enright<jen rig ht@northandoverma.gov>, perrone14family@gmail.com,Andrew Shapiro
<ashapiro@northandoverma.gov>
Dear Jean,
The above comments are an updated copy of comments I previously submitted the North Andover
Conservation Commission. Please provide them to members of the Planning Board and please also
encourage reading the Final Committee Report of the Artificial Turf Study Committee April 12, 2024. 1 have
provided the link below:
Microsoft Word -ATSC Final Report 04-12-24.docx
I want to thank you and the Board so very much for allowing me to make citizen comments at the Planning
Board Meeting, Tuesday April 1st, 2025.
For some time I have attended North Andover Conservation Committee Meeting but was not aware the
Planning Board was reviewing the NAHS new synthetic turf field plans until three (3) weeks ago.
My son is presently a senior on the NAHS Varsity baseball team and (rightly)feels that the baseball field is
in horrendous shape. You can imagine the `synthetic turf field discussions' in our house. This led to my
early comments in the meeting on assuring funds and staffing for upkeep of each and any synthetic turf
fields placed at NAHS.
Nonetheless, I had great hope for Cochichewick Brook with the advent of Horsley-Witten's evaluation of the
Sutton Pond Dam (Cochichewick River Dam) funded by the Department of Fish and Game's Division of
Ecological Restoration. $50,000 for a comprehensive study with the resulting estimate of$1.5 million for
removal of a High Risk dam seems a great investment to begin recovery of what was once "Cascading
Waters". The fact that Cochichewick Brook runs through the center of town and through an Environmental
Justice Population adds heft to the importance of a dam-removal project.
The placement of yet another synthetic turf-field-with-crumb-rubber-infill, adjacent to Cochichewick Brook,
appears to be a retreat from restoration of the Brook, a step in the wrong direction for the environment, for
human-health, for students and for maintenance staff.
Thus, my final comments regarding the Planning Board's complete dismissal of ALL of the N. A.
Conservation Commission's 2025 OSRP Section 8, Goals 2a—2d.
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4/3/25,8:47 AM Town of North Andover Mail-Cochichewick Brook Meets Synthetic Turf w/Crumb Rubber
It is my true desire, as some of our dams have been classified "high risk," that The Town of North Andover
takes the opportunity to beautify and enjoy our natural Cascading Waters (despite some residual industrial
contaminants) rather than further contaminate Cochichewick Brook.
Sincerely,
Melinda Perrone
Perronel 4family@gmaii.com
FinNAHSSynTurfApr2_2025.docx
61K
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