Letters

A Marsden acquisition would guarantee our community’s children that the school will have the land necessary to address their future facility needs.

“Don’t you have concerns?” Well, I did.

Initially, I was worried about proposals for a 100 percent synthetic turf field, but in January the Board of Education presented options for 100 percent grass or a stitched structured grass hybrid alternative. Now it appears that 100 percent plant-based stitching is coming to market for the around 5 percent of the surface of these hybrid fields that used to be synthetic.

Those telling us that this will be a 100 percent crumb rubber turf field are using fear to try to divide us. If the community decides on an athletic field, we will have safe and sustainable options to choose from.

Environmental impact and soil safety also were top concerns early on, but I quickly learned that Phase I and Phase II assessments were performed and that soil borings going down as far as 20 feet did not reveal the presence of toxic substances above residential limits. The objectives were deemed appropriate for a public school property, and the BOE confirmed that further review will be conducted before any projects are begun.

I learned from conservationists that Marsden is not a wetland that warranted preservation, and later that the school was willing to work with village engineers on stormwater runoff. Yet I am still hearing that we shouldn’t trust the School Board to put the safety of children first.

Remember, this is the same School Board that was the first on Long Island to close schools proactively to limit the spread of COVID. This is also the same School Board that went above and beyond what other school boards were willing to do by installing ventilation upgrades that kept students safe so we could reopen effectively. These decisions likely saved lives, and accusations that the Board of Education is going to suddenly stop caring about the safety of our children are, to put it mildly, unfair.

With these assurances in place, and given the potential importance of this acquisition for future generations of Sag Harbor students, I no longer see this as a difficult decision. I firmly support voting yes to Marsden.

Anthony Chase Mallia

President

Teachers Association of Sag Harbor