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Fields in Canfield remain unfinished
Photo
Canfield Trustee Tony Bettile
By Elise Franco
CANFIELD
The Canfield Soccer Club was set to take to the turf on six brand-new township-park soccer fields in 2009.
The league’s competitive teams, however, still haven’t played a single game there, said league president Jeff Joseph.
Ground was broken on the 58-acre township-park project on Herbert Road in summer 2008 under the previous board of trustees — Bill Reese, Randy Brashen and Dick Puerner.
Joseph said the first phase — the construction of six soccer fields — was to be finished before the start of the competitive league’s 2009 soccer season.
“We had hoped to be on the fields a lot sooner than we actually gained access,” he said. “We wanted the fields to be in a much-more finished and playable condition than they are now.”
Joseph said the league now bears the responsibility of weeding, seeding and replanting some areas on the fields if they want it done in a timely manner.
Township Trustee Martha Zarlenga said she feels bad that the league has had to wait an additional year-and-a-half to access fields they’ve made a significant contribution toward. The league donated $50,000 to the development of the athletic fields, to be paid over five years.
Zarlenga said during the construction phase the soccer fields weren’t properly leveled or graded and had to be redone several times.
“The fields weren’t right,” she said. “I feel bad for the people because they were promised all these things, and they’re not getting it.”
Zarlenga said the fields aren’t the only problems on the park lands. Since 2008, more than $1.5 million has been put into construction of the park, she said.
A more-than-$300,000 multipurpose building — to be used for restrooms and concessions — was built in 2010 but is inoperable because it lacks water and a sewage system, she said.
“No one’s even allowed to go into it because there’s no running water right now,” she said. “The soccer club has to rent outdoor toilets.”
Trustee Tony Bettile said a water line is already run into the building, but the township’s two options for a sewage system are expensive and will take time.
He said to hook into the city’s line would cost about $60,000, a cost the township can’t afford.
Bettile said the township also is researching grant opportunities through Eastgate Regional Council of Governments that would allow it to run a gravity feed system, which would benefit a whole quadrant of the township.
“That entire project is estimated to be about $2.5 million, and we should be able to get that accomplished,” he said.
Bettile said the building likely will remain inoperable for another year-and-a-half because of the grant-application process.
More than the vacant concessions building, Zarlenga and Joseph both expressed serious concern about a retention pond that rests at the bottom of a hill near the two fields — where the youngest children will play.
“That pond is too huge for what we have out there,” Zarlenga said. “I’m concerned about it because it slopes off very close to the soccer fields.”
Joseph said it’s not hard to picture a young child slipping and falling into the pond while chasing after a soccer ball. He said some type of barrier is a must.
“As an attorney, a parent and the president of the soccer club, I see the [pond] as a huge hazard,” he said. “I believe no matter how diligent officials and parents and coaches are, you can’t watch every kid at every moment.”
Bettile said it’s not possible to predict whether leaving the pond open will cause issues.
“I’ve never seen them play there, so I can’t say if the [soccer] ball will really roll down the hill,” he said.
Though Joseph said he’s spoken directly with Bettile about the lack of protection around the pond, the trustee disputed that.
“It hasn’t been brought before the board, and if he thinks it’s an issue, then it probably needs to be addressed to us,” Bettile said.
Zarlenga said she’s brought up the danger of the open water several times to her colleagues.
“I want to get a fence up because I’m worried about safety,” she said. “But they seem to want to sit on it.”