Well-meaning and reasonable people often disagree about what is best for their community. This is the case with the Town of Oyster Bay's plan to build an artificial turf field at Tappen Beach. However, I believe a majority of residents, regardless of their particular views, would agree that more time is needed to reach a consensus on the best course of action. Our elected officials maintain that they have allowed for significant community discussion about the proposal but many residents have provided convincing evidence that this is not the case and that their environmental, health and aesthetic concerns have not been addressed. It would be a huge mistake to begin construction on the field this summer before there is greater consensus about the future of this important TOB resource. What's the rush?

Carol Vogt