Should We or Shouldn't We?: Artificial Turf Fields

At this Monday’s Gloucester Township Council meeting (January 25th, 7:30PM, Gloucester Twp Municipal Building), Council will vote to borrow $9.6 million by issuing bonds to pay for various projects.
Of that amount, $2.7 million is for a project to install artificial turf on two youth athletic fields at Gloucester Twp Community Park (at Peter Cheeseman Rd. & Hickstown Rd).

The pros and cons of this expenditure have been discussed at several previous meetings, as the prudence of this costly, non-essential project has been debated.
The discussion began at a July 2015 Council meeting. Council introduced the turf field idea by stating the estimated cost for two fields is $1.2 million; that this cost will be offset by lower maintenance costs; that Council will provide to the public an analysis of the costs and the benefits of this project; and that, after this analysis, if the numbers don’t work out this way, then the fields won’t be built.
Then, at the January 11, 2016 Council meeting it was stated that the cost for two fields is $2.7 million; that no maintenance cost savings can be calculated; and that Council intends to vote to approve the project at the next meeting on January 25. A public hearing will be held at the meeting before the Council votes.

Artificial turf: Pros, Cons, Questions:

Pros:
Improved field utilization vs. natural grass
Possibility of lower field maintenance costs

Cons:
High cost. A non-essential, luxury expenditure.
Needs replaced after 8-to-12 years
Towns have often experienced higher maintenance costs than anticipated

Questions:
Is there sufficient study of the health risks from the potentially toxic materials used to make artificial turf?
Why did GT’s cost increase to $2.7 million? The literature indicates that installation costs should not be that high.
What will GT Council do next? Why is GT Council doing this project to only benefit the GT youth sports clubs that play on these two fields at this park?