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Game action between Bristol Eastern at Tolland boys soccer, Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at Tolland High School. (Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
Action during the first half the South Windsor at Tolland game, Friday, October 8, 2021, at Tolland High School. (Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
Game action between Bristol Eastern at Tolland boys soccer, Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at Tolland High School. (Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
Action during the first half the South Windsor at Tolland game, Friday, October 8, 2021, at Tolland High School. (Jim Michaud / Journal Inquirer)
TOLLAND — The Town Council and Board of Education Monday discussed the feasibility of replacing the artificial turf athletic field at Tolland High School, and also the possibility of reverting to a grass field instead.
The artificial turf field at the school, which was installed in 2013, is nearing the end of its life span, town and school officials at the joint meeting said.
WHAT: Both the Town Council and Board of Education held a joint meeting Monday to discuss replacing the high school artificial turf field, which is nearing the end of its life span.
ARTIFICIAL OR GRASS?: Replacing the field with grass was discussed as a less costly up-front option, but it would require more regular maintenance and staff.
NEXT: A new field will be discussed further during next fiscal year’s budget workshops.
The field is wearing out quickly because many sports, such as soccer and football use it, Tolland Schools Facility Director Peter Sztaba said, adding that the fiber thickness of the field is decreasing, and parts are coming undone, which creates a tripping hazard.
Interim Town Manager Lisa Hancock said the field would likely need to be replaced in a year or two, and that the cost is estimated at $850,000. The project is slated for the town’s capital budget next year, she added.
Councilwoman Tammy Nuccio said alternative funding methods to bonding should be considered, so taxpayers are not hit as much.
Hancock said she wants to find possible grant funding to help with the upcoming cost, and recommended the council figure out how to fund replacing the artificial turf field every 10 years thereafter.
Board of Education member Jacob Marie agreed, saying: “Whatever we do, we should put money away for the replacement.”
“If we decide to go forward with this, that’s the moment a 10-year plan has to happen,” school board member Christine Griffin said.
The original field was paid for with $700,000 in state grants in addition to $300,000 in bonding and $38,340 in municipal funds.
The Town Council and Board of Education also debated whether to replace the current field with another artificial turf field or a natural grass field.
Hancock said artificial turf is desirable but is more costly to install and would have to be replaced every 10 to 12 years. A grass field would cost just over $715,000.
While less expensive to install, a grass field would require significantly more regular maintenance than an artificial field, including mowing, irrigation, and painting lines, officials said. Director of Public Works Scott Lappen said it would take about two full days a week to maintain and require more staff. Conversely, maintenance on the artificial turf field is required once a month, he said.
Heavy rain is another problem with natural grass, as the field becomes unusable for a period of time, he said.
Town Councilman Lou Luba expressed concern with replacing parts of an artificial turf field that starts to wear, and said at least grass can be re-grown.
However, John Hickok from CHA Consulting, an engineering firm working with the town, said individual parts of the turf that begin to wear could be replaced separately, and that would take less time than growing new grass.
He added though that this replacement would likely not be covered by the field’s eight-year warranty, and could cost $2,500 to $8,000, per minor repair.
“Those higher-wear areas, they have a cost,” he said, but added, “a synthetic turf field acts as five grass fields from a use perspective.”
Nuccio asked if the current artificial field could be repaired to extend its life span and give the town more time to figure out how to fund a replacement, but Lappen said replacing worn out sections could “look like patchwork,” because the replacement patches would look different.
Ultimately, many Board of Education members expressed interest in a full, artificial turf replacement.
“Turf is my preference as a board member and as a coach,” said Jayden Regisford, who coaches Little League.
School board Chairwoman Ashley Lundgren said there are “many plus sides” to an artificial field.
Board of Education member Christina Plourd said, “I feel like the board could contribute something to help with the cost.”
Field replacement will continue to be discussed as the town and schools work on their budgets in the coming months.
Ben covers Coventry and Tolland for the Journal Inquirer.
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Ben covers Vernon and Stafford for the Journal Inquirer. He joined the JI in September 2021 and graduated from UConn. In addition to reporting, he is an avid hiker and guitarist, with his prized possession being his Fender Jazzmaster.
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