Bennett’s Crossing: Just Add Water

ERMA — Folks driving past Bennett’s Crossing recreational complex have been noticing a brown patch in the sod on the football field replaced in June.
Lower Township Manager Joe Jackson told the Herald there is nothing to worry about, the sod is healthy. He said sprinkler heads needed to be repositioned.
A meeting took place on site July 30 with Jackson, Lower Township Recreation Director Zack Zelwack and George Betts, owner of Tuckahoe Turf Farm.
Jackson said the new sod was a big project for the township and the turf farm. He said there has been constant phone contact with Betts.
The brown spot visible from Route 9 is a watering problem.
“The sprinkler was going over the top of that area,” he said. “That’s been corrected, that will come back.”
Brown spots along the fence along the driveway also have watering issues, said Jackson.
“Basically, the field itself is good, it’s healthy,” he said. “To quote George Betts, ‘It’s happy.’”
Some soil under the football field was removed and sand was tilled in to change the composition of the dirt. Before new sod was laid, soil samples were taken to Rutgers University and were deemed “a good mix.”
In May, sod was dying on the football. It was removed and replaced in June.