BERKELEY HEIGHTS, NJ — The Union County Board of County Commissioners had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, June 3, for the new turf baseball field at Snyder Avenue Park in Berkeley Heights.
The ceremony was attended by county and local officials, as well as residents and the baseball teams from Governor Livingston and Bayonne high schools. Immediately following the ceremony, Governor Livingston played Bayonne in a scheduled, regular-season match.
“The Board of Commissioners is proud of all the work done here at the Snyder Avenue Park baseball field. This is the first baseball field of its kind in the state of New Jersey and in the tristate area,” said County Commissioner Chairperson Alexander Mirabella. “The Board of County Commissioners is proud to provide high-quality, state-of-the-art facilities such as this one to our athletes across Union County.”
The new turf baseball field consists of sustainable turf that can be 100 percent recycled. Components of the organic turf system, which include walnut shells and coconut, are of the same type currently being used in four Major League baseball stadiums. The turf system has specific turf for each performance area of the field.
Performance levels for the new turf field have been tested and provide levels very close to natural grass, similar to the best synthetic turf fields that are currently available. The shock pad and infill can be reused in the next field.
The design, materials and installation of the turf field cost approximately $2.8 million. The design was engineered by Neglia Engineering Associates of Mountainside. The LandTek Group coordinated the construction, and Shaw Sports Turf supplied the turf material. Installation was done by Athletic Fields of America.
For information about the baseball field at Snyder Avenue Park and other offerings within the Union County Parks system, visit https://ucnj.org/parks-recreation/ or call 908-527-4900.