Nursery Fields NYS SEQR Full Environmental Assessment Forms, Coastal Zone Assessment, Floodplain, and Wetlands Permitting

Nursery Field is a municipal recreational field located near multiple National Register Historic Listed Resources in a residential neighborhood in the City of Rye. The existing grass field is in high demand for use by many schools and athletic leagues for soccer is subject to extreme flooding which annually limits the productive use for sporting events. Further, flooding and regular rain events experienced at the field result in high maintenance costs and reduced playability even under regular conditions. The City of Rye sought to convert the surface to a synthetic turf, while raising and leveling the field to standard requirements for soccer events. As the Site is located within parkland, and contiguous to historic resources, and within 100-feet of wetlands, and involved the physical alteration of 2.5 acres – the improvements were considered Type I Action under 6 NYCRR Part 617 regulations governing SEQR and required the preparation of a Full Environmental Assessment Form Parts I and II as well as several local permits.

Challenge

The seemingly straightforward project was subject to immense public scrutiny from residents and local council members with opposition and support in equal numbers.  Concerns were related to impact of synthetic turf and potential presence of PFAS material known to be in some synthetic turfs as well concerns about injuries which evidence existing on many sides regarding such impact. Further concerns regarding impacts to adjacent wetlands, impact on traffic and area noise, as well as beliefs that the turf would exacerbate extreme flooding experience around the site.
 

Solution

GZA, working deeply with public works and Rye Department of Planning as well as engineering team members, prepared a comprehensive set of environmental analysis, including a coastal zone and LWRP assessment, wetland and flood plain permit, SHPO negotiations, along with detailed traffic and noise studies.  The FEAF Part I and II prepared by GZA established clear mitigation and benefits of the project.
 

Benefit

GZA carefully and with great speed prepared all of the required environmental analysis within critical deadlines and presented the project at Planning and City Council Meetings, responding to innumerable public comments at both hearings and responses to opposition letters, successfully securing the support of City Council and the responding to concerns of the Community at large.