Workers have been on site laying the groundwork for upgrades to the field since the end of the school year. The project involves the complete replacement of the original synthetic turf, which opened for play in 2013.
DPW Director John Scenna said Thursday that the base of the field has been graded and inspected. The installation of the new turf and pad began Friday and is expected to be completed this week. The field will be back in use no later than Aug. 1.
“It can definitely be played on by then, maybe even in late July,” Scenna said. “We’re excited because this is not the turf we’ve seen in the past due to improvements in technology.”
While the field will have the same look, lines, and markings, it will deliver enhanced player safety features due to a more forgiving pad and surface that uses wood infill instead of rubber pellets made from old tires. Scenna said the new surface will also offer better traction for players and be more shock-absorbing.
“It will look and feel different,” Scenna said. “There will be a pad under the turf which is supposed to soften the impact of running and falling. It’s about injury and concussion prevention. It’s the health and wellness component. This turf has improved player safety benefits so we expect to see fewer head injuries from contact with the turf as it has a much safer landing cushion.”
The field will also be significantly cooler.
“The wood infill should contribute to lower on-field temperatures. They are saying 8-12 degrees cooler, which is a big difference because now you’re talking about 100 degrees on a late afternoon, which is a big deal,” Scenna said.
Rockland-based R.A.D. Sports is the contractor.
“They are very well known and respected and do this work across the Northeast,” Scenna said. “They really know what they are doing.”
The new turf is expected to have a life expectancy of 12-15 years according to Scenna.
The original field complex opened in 2013. Since then, the fields have been used by high school and youth sports teams and programs as well as rented to numerous outside organizations, including local college teams.
Scenna said the fields have outlived their predicted 10-year life expectancy in part due to good maintenance practices.
“That main field has seen a tremendous amount of use, but we’ve always had our eyes on proper maintenance these last 12 years and also our youth programs have respected the fields,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to replace it and stay ahead of it. At the same time, we need to be proactive about the other fields and put a plan in place to stay aggressive and stay ahead of their replacement. You don’t want to start to see the seams of the turf fields, so we have a lot of eyes on it.”
The complex includes two practice fields as well as softball and baseball fields. Scenna said it is unclear which fields will be the next to be replaced.
“The back two fields are in pretty good shape, so I would say, perhaps the softball field,” he said. “Baseball and softball see use year round with field hockey in the outfield of the baseball field and soccer and football on the softball field in the fall.
“We’re not 100% sure that fields 2 and 3 will be the next to be replaced. We’ll have to play it out over the next year and reevaluate and see where we stand. We hope we can get at least two more years out of all the rest of the complex and then put a plan in place maybe three years out.”
Funding to replace the stadium field was approved by residents at the 2024 Town Meeting, which approved the transfer of $915,000 from the Recreational Capital Trust for the project.
Scenna expects the total cost of the project will be approximately $850,000.
“That’s inclusive of engineering, construction management and testing, all of the soft costs. So it’s well within budget,” he said.
