Opponents of the crumb rubber playfields planned for the current grass fields next to the former Woodway High School are holding a “peaceful protest” Monday morning, June 1, on the sidewalk across from the entrance to the school at 23200 100th Avenue West.

The group will gather beginning at 8 a.m. for the rally, which will start at 8:20 a.m.

The contractor hired for the project is scheduled to begin installing temporary construction fencing and erosion control around the Woodway fields site Monday morning.

Those opposed to the multi-use sports fields project planned for Edmonds School District property include parents of students attending Edmonds Heights K-12 school (which occupies former Woodway High School along with Scriber Lake High School) and nearby neighbors. They have spent the past two months attempting to convince the three project sponsors — the school district, the City of Edmonds and the Verdant Health Commission — to choose an alternative to the crumb rubber made from recycled tires, which they believe poses health and environmental dangers

“Our children’s health is at risk….there are no long term studies and anecdotal evidence is mounting,” the group said in announcing the rally.

The group said it has also set up a GoFundMe account to reimburse legal costs of Mark Wall, a neighbor living near the fields who has filed a land use appeal in Snohomish County Superior Court regarding the project.

The Edmonds School Board voted 4-1 in May to approve crumb rubber fields for the site, after a majority of board members said current evidence does not point to a definite heightened risk for crumb rubber fields. The Verdant Health Commission last week released results of a consultant review of field turf safety that concluded the current publicly available data showed no risk from playing on crumb rubber turf.