THE CASE FOR FOLEY FIELD
Why do we need to renovate Foley?
The 76-year-old stadium is desperately in need of an overhaul: The uneven, hard-packed field puts players at increased risk; the non-regulation cinder track is unusable for competition; and the 1934 concrete stands have been declared unsafe by the district’s engineering consultants. Consequently our teams are forced to play every game on their opponents’ home turf.
Why launch another referendum just weeks after the last one?
The district is answering the call from those who felt that the referendum was not adequately explained and that the poll hours were too limited.
How much will the renovation cost and what will I get for my money?
An estimated maximum of $2.9 million (roughly 11 to 15 cents per day per household for five years) will provide a year-round, weather-resistant, multi-purpose turf field with new lighting and drainage systems and a competition-level eight-lane track for sports, school and local events. The improved field will reduce risk of injuries for players across all sports and require less maintenance, less water usage and reduced use of pesticides. The more durable field can be utilized 24 hours a day with an unlimited number of uses from sports and band festivals to graduation ceremonies and town-wide races. Bloomfield also would gain a new resource for hosting regional activities that offer potential for additional revenue and benefit local businesses.
Why should I care about Foley?
Revitalizing Foley would reward Bloomfield far beyond the practical, long-lasting benefit of restoring vitality to a facility that has been in steady decline for years. Our students would have a venue that would entice greater participation in school programs. Better school programs make better schools, and better schools make better communities. Foley Field is “our house,” Bloomfield’s rallying source of hometown pride and spirit. The place where our youth can—literally—feel and hear and see the support of their community roaring in the grandstands, an exciting place where that sense of community traditionally unites every game-day.
Where is the funding coming from?
The referendum will pay for the removal of the crumbling concrete stands and the installation of the field, track and upgraded utilities to get the students back on the field as soon as possible, while the district and the township work collaboratively to apply for state and county funding to install bleachers, restrooms and a concession stand. The non-profit Foley Field Revitalization Committee will solicit funding from private sources to further enhance the stadium. Until these other monies are secured, the district will temporarily rent bleachers and other amenities not included in the referendum.
If I vote for the referendum, will I be putting district jobs at risk? No, the referendum and the operating budget are two entirely different funding streams. A “no” vote will not help retain district jobs.
What is the cost of leaving the stadium in its current condition? Not only will Bloomfield be without a field for games and graduation, other users groups, such as the William Foley Football League, the 5th Quarter Club, the high school athletic program and marching band will lose tens of thousands of dollars in revenues that help support programs. For example, this season alone the William Foley Football League lost over $6,000 in revenue from concession sales – monies that it uses to pay for referees and seasonal helmet conditioning. The Marching Band stands to lose some $12,000 because it cannot host its annual invitational at Foley. Equally important, the decaying bleachers are not only a safety hazard, they send out the wrong message about our township.
