#MiddleburyCT #MeadowviewPark #Soccer #ArtificialTurf
After the following editorial was published on page 4 of the May 2025 “Middlebury Bee-Intelligencer,” we realized the May 7 referendum ballot asked the wrong question. The question that needed to be on the ballot was, “Should the Town of Middlebury allow installation of artificial turf fields on town property?”
Some Connecticut towns have chosen not to have artificial turf fields. Wethersfield, for example, in December 2024 voted 5:1 against having an artificial turf field in a park there.
How to vote on question 5?
Question 5 asks voters if the town should consider entering into a lease/license agreement with CT Rush Central that would have the for-profit organization pay for and install an artificial turf field with lighting and a fence at Meadowview Park. The question initially asked if the town should enter into lease/licensing agreement with CT Rush. Considering entering and entering are two different things. But what is more concerning is the speed at which people are being asked to vote on the matter.
Talks with CT Rush Central appear to have begun in January, but the first public mention of the project we saw was at the April 8 annual budget presentation. Voters are being asked to vote on the question just 30 days later, and to do so without knowing the terms of the lease or having an opportunity to comment on it.
It brings to mind high-pressure sales techniques that urge customers to make a purchase quickly before an offer expires. This project doesn’t lend itself to quick decisions, at least in our minds.
While an artificial turf soccer field may well be a wonderful addition to the town, even when it is installed through a lease agreement that could give CT Rush almost total control over the field’s use, too many questions remain unanswered. Some of these are:
- Do the majority of taxpayers want to have Meadowview Park altered this way?
- How will the increased field use that comes with an artificial turf field affect the town?
- Is it better for soccer players to play on artificial turf or natural grass?
- Can CT Rush obtain financing for a $2 million project?
- John Salvatore is currently CT Rush CEO. Will he still be the CEO in 10 or 20 years?
- What happens to the town if CT Rush goes out of business?
- What guarantee does the town have that the project won’t end up half built like the medical office buildings at the corner of Park Road and Route 63?
- Is the all-volunteer Pomperaug Soccer Club going to get any benefit from this project?
- Residents would have to pay market rate to use the field. What is the current market rate?
- How do the many volunteers who helped build Meadowview Park feel about this project?
- Will this project benefit Middlebury residents?
- Will the lease agreement be made public before it is signed, and will voters get to comment on it?
- Will the lighting affect neighbors or traffic on the roads?
And then there is Diana Anton’s question posed at the April 28 information session: “How can I vote on something I’m learning about 10 days before the referendum?”
We walked out of the April 10 Parks and Rec meeting thinking people should vote “No” on this question. Our reason is not because it’s a bad idea. It may well be a wonderful project for soccer and for the town. But we simply don’t have enough information to make an informed decision. Too many questions remain unanswered. For that reason, we encourage voters to carefully consider which way they will vote. If this project is going to go away just because we initially turn it down at the polls, it’s probably not a good project in the first place.
