Grass vs. turf: Recreation Commission and town board kick around a few field ideas
Stewart Berg, Gus Larramendi, John Re and Bob Snyder at work session
May 23, 20008
by Christine Yeres
The New Castle Recreation and Parks Commission appeared before the town board at its Tuesday, May 20 work session to pass on the news of an unsolicited preliminary proposal from a private company, Precision Sports Complex, to partner with the town. This would allow Precision Sports Complex to install an artificial turf field at Upper Gedney and raise a bubble over it during winter months to enable year-round sports programs.
New Castle Recreation and Parks programs would have full use of the field during fall and spring; in winter and summer Precision Sports Complex would run evening programs, summer camps and winter programs open to residents and non-residents as well. As part of the package, the company would sponsor four free clinics per year in its bubble for New Castle Recreation and Parks.
The 65 foot high opaque bubble on a 70 x 120 yard turf field would go up October 1 and come down March 31 each year and operate from 4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on weekends. The cost of raising and lowering the bubble, heat and utilities, restrooms, plus lighting and a walkway from lower to upper fields would fall to Precision Sports Complex. But the company suggests that the town of New Castle pick up the tab for lighting of the parking lots, upgrading the parking lot (now an irregular gravel surface), maintaining and plowing roadways and securing necessary permits and approvals.
The recreation commission members made it clear to the town board that they know little more about the proposal, as it was in very early stages of exploration. Some of the commission’s concerns so far include the height and visibility of the bubble; runoff and drainage of snow and ice; the environmental impact of turf fields; change in the character of the neighborhood and what it would cost the town to support the operation. To these, Councilwoman Elise Mottel added the question of whether Gedney Park’s narrow internal roadways could handle the increased traffic that such a sports facility would draw.
Precision Sports Complex proposed a 12 year term of the lease, about the life expectancy of the turf itself. After that time, the company would replace the original turf if the town renews its contract; if the town declined to renew, removal of the spent 12-year-old turf would become the town’s responsibility.
No dollar figures are attached yet to the proposal, “And we don’t know the finances yet, or whether the company is viable. But we wanted to work with the town from the very beginning,” said Gus Larramendi, recreation commission chairman, “to do what’s right for recreation and what works for all the other town constituents.” Since the town has budgeted $350,000 to redo the upper Gedney with real grass, members of the commission believe it’s the right time to rule the turf question in or out, before spending the funds.
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