Wayne Highlands school board OK's turf

Wayne Highlands School Board, July 19, approved with only two dissenting votes to move ahead with a plan to replace the grass athletic fields with artificial turf on the football side of Terrace Street in Honesdale.If everything moves along without delay and the board keeps this timeline, the Honesdale Hornets could be practicing and playing home games on artificial grass by the fall of 2023.The administration is looking at applying turf to all the fields on the side east side of the road (just up the hill from the high school). The project will allow six athletic teams to play as well as practice on turf: Football, baseball, softball, field hockey and, boys’ and girls' soccer.The individual fields on the west side of Terrace Street (adjoining Lakeside Elementary and Stourbridge Primary schools) will be kept as grass athletic fields, for use by the teams. Field hockey, soccer and softball are not presently played on the east side but these teams will be able to play there once the newly designed turf field is set up.There will also be more access for JV and Junior High teams to use the grass fields.Frigoletto stressed that the district still intends to address the drainage issue affecting the varsity baseball field on the west side, but that is separate from the turf project approved July 19.

Funds already available

A multi-phase project, Superintendent Gregory Frigoletto said that the cost of Phase-1, which includes design and securing all the permits, was quoted as $294,875. Phase-2, actually converting the fields to turf and providing for storm runoff, could cost $3.4 million, although Frigoletto said that the estimate may be for the most extravagant design.According to Jeffrey Firmstone, district Business Manager, the district presently has over $2.6 million left in the current bond issue, money previously borrowed.The district previously took out a $10 million bond issue, which is paying for ongoing capital projects such as the high school auditorium upgrade now underway. Some urgent blacktopping needs to be done, Firmstone added. Taking all these things into account, he stated, "That gets us darn near getting this thing paid for on money we already borrowed and already committed to in our budgets."There is also $2 million set aside within the General Fund which could help if the board chooses. "Between those two numbers without ever going back to the bank for a loan, or going to another bond issue, this project could be done with those funds," Firmstone said.Firmstone said it was "a matter of prioritization.""We are in a very good financial position," Firmstone said.

Coach lauds decision

“We are excited! We are very thankful and appreciative of the school board and the school district to make such a big commitment to athletics," Honesdale’s head football coach Paul Russick said afterwards. "This will put us on a more level playing field with many of the schools within the Lackawanna conference. I am hopeful this will continue to increase momentum and excitement in not only our football program but athletics at Honesdale.”It all started with concerns that have been building for years over the poor drainage at the varsity baseball field, which in the spring is so frequently saturated, very few home games are scheduled.Changing fields to turf was hailed as way to not only provide fields with good drainage, but to make Wayne Highlands sports teams more competitive.At the June 21st board meeting, their Athletic Director, Diane Scarfalotto said turf would make scheduling easier; other school districts in the area already have turf or have excellent drainage. Wallenpaupack and Western Wayne use turf.Field hockey plays much faster on turf and a lot of the kids in the program want to advance to the next level, she said. The soccer fields had to be shut down last season because they were so wet; soccer was moved to the football field.The district met with two consulting companies to compare, the board making its decision based on what Frigoletto described as the comprehensive report supplied by Keystone Sports Construction, an artificial turf installation company based in Phoenixville, Pa.This company gives the district the advantage of being a design-build company that works with the state's cooperative purchasing program (COSTARS). Because the state does the bidding under this program which determines the price, the district is not required to bid the project.

Timetable

Depending on the timeline the school board wished to keep, Frigoletto said, if the goal is to have the turf fields ready for the 2023-2024 school year, the project needs to begin sooner than later. He said this is because Wayne Highlands is in what the state defines as a "High Quality Watershed" and involves approval of the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Given the time it takes for DEP review and approval, the project would need to begin soon to meet that kind of deadline.Phase-1 would involve topographical surveying, base mapping, property boundary establishment, testing of soil and geography, and the land development plan. Honesdale council and planning would need to be involved, he said, as well as the Conservation District.The district would have much input in the design phase such as what areas to pave or have as gravel; types of turf; where pitching cages and dugouts might be placed."Ultimately what the board has to decide is what sort of value do you place on a project like this for the school, the community, for our programs," Frigoletto said. "Does it resolve some of the issues we know?"

Not to keep up with Joneses

Board member David Stanton noted that competing districts already have turf. Frigoletto cautioned, "It's not about keeping up with the Joneses, but it is about having playing fields that are competitive… This is not one of those, 'Boy, we are going to be overly progressive, put ourselves out in front of everybody.' This is a little bit of what is out there already."Board member Brian Weist questioned how the players would be acclimated to playing on turf if they practice on grass. The superintendent advised a rotation; teams would not exclusively have to practice on grass. The athletic director said she'd want to get all the teams to practice on turf before the game.

Tackle drainage issues

Keystone explained to the administration the options of how turf can regulate storm water runoff, whether in a detention pond or in an infiltration system underground, below the turf."The possibilities of what this surface could do far out-performs what a grass surface does in regards to controlling water," Frigoletto said. "…It would do nothing but help resolve any storm water runoff issues. It definitely doesn't add to it…"An advantage they have is that turf would be put on existing facilities, he said, limiting the scope of the necessary work.Scarfalotto added, "Baseball plays on turf, softball is played on turf, football is played on turf…. They like it, it's a much faster game. And it keeps you on schedule. That's the beauty of this too, it could be raining and you could still be playing soccer, you could still be playing football, you could still be playing field hockey as long as it's not torrential downpours."Their coaches all want it, though they realize it is a big expense, she said. "Can we continue to move on and play our sports on the grass that we have? Of course, we can. It is not a do-or-die situation," she said.Board member Jamie Rutherford said one coach told him turf would benefit all of their sports programs and encourage participation. "Overall, it benefits the kids, and that's why we're here," Stanton said.Stanton said the field upgrade would have to be done eventually anyway.

"Boondoggle"

Two of the board members, however, voted against the project, Weist and Lothar Holbert.Holbert commented that they have great athletic facilities now. "It's not a matter of taking care of our kids; the taxpayers have already done that. Spending $3.5 million really gets us very little…. It makes things nicer but it really doesn't give the kids much and it really doesn't give the community much." The track and tennis courts, he said, were good investments, but turf won't benefit the public "at all."Rather, Holbert advised the board to look at alternatives such as a weight training center or an indoor pool, or saving money.He cautioned that just to replace the turf in 10-15 years, $80,000 to $100,000 a year would be planned for, in addition to maintaining their present fields. "That's crazy… If there was ever a boondoggle, this is it," he declared.Board member Tom Fasshauer and others disagreed the community would not benefit, such as Stinger Football and the Jaycees' Easter egg hunt. PTA utilizes the complex.

"Trying to build it better"

Chairman George Korb added, "We're trying to build it better. The community benefits much… it's part of the culture of the fields of how we are taking care of things and trying to be progressive…" They do the same with their music programs, he said. "We have to keep up with the times and move forward," he said.Fasshauer made the motion to proceed to Phase 1. The turf project passed, 6 to 2. Board member Heather Stephens was absent.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne Highlands school board, Honesdale, OK's turf for athletic teams