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Protesters at Florence Fields.

(Fred Contrada)

NORTHAMPTON – Two days after demonstrators protested the use of the herbicide at the site, Mayor David J. Narkewicz said Thursday he will allow the application of Roundup at Florence Fields.

“For the last few days I have been carefully listening to citizens with a wide range of views, researching the issues, and meeting with our Florence Fields contractor and landscape architect,” Narkewicz said in a press release. “I believe that any use of chemicals should always be considered carefully and I appreciate concerns raised by residents. I am persuaded, however, that a limited, one-time application of herbicide now, a year before the fields are in use, is the best way to create a strong turf field that will minimize the need for any treatment, organic or inorganic, once the fields are in use.”

In a memo to the mayor earlier this week, the directors of the planning and recreation departments recommended using Roundup for the same reasons. Nonetheless, some 50 protesters gathered at the edge of the playing fields Tuesday to make their voices heard. The fields are part of 180 acres near the Mill River formerly farmed by the Bean and Allard families. The non-profit Trust for Public Land bought the property in 2011, selling some of the land to the city and some to the group Grow Food Northampton. Grow Food Northampton leased most of its land to local farmers, preserving 17 acres for use as community gardens.

The city is investing several million dollars to develop the 24 acres into baseball diamonds and soccer fields. It broke ground on the project last fall.

Narkewicz set several conditions for the Roundup application, saying it must only be applied in non-windy conditions to avoid drift and that the contractor must use special machinery and construct silt fences. The city will also maintain buffers of 80 feet from the Florence Community Gardens and 20 feet from Slow Tractor Farm, which grows organic vegetables.

“Finally, moving forward, I have asked the DPW to fully explore all options for organic applications once the contractor has set a date for the actual application,” he wrote.