Coral Springs approves AstroTurf contract for artificial turf at North Community Park, other parks to follow

The Coral Springs City Commission authorized a contract award Oct. 15 for artificial turf and track installation, beginning at North Community Park (NCP), and advancing to other parks in a planned series of installations. The commission approved the item unanimously.

Staff presented the request to award contract 26BDashO2M for artificial turf and related track installation, using cooperative pricing from Sourcewell contract O31622-AST. The vendor identified in the agenda item is AstroTurf Corporation. City staff said the first installation will be at North Community Park, with additional parks slated in later phases; staff estimated field installations would be completed by early 2026.

Rob Hunter (identified in the meeting record as "Rob") summarized technical choices meant to improve drainage and player comfort. He said the city paid more for a turf product with a specialized base: "we paid a little extra to get the better turf out there for better drainage... we paid a little extra to get the better turf out there for better drainage, and... we used a little crushed lava rock in the base, but actually helps absorb the heat that makes it 10% cooler." Hunter also said the turf specifications match the soccer-field base already used elsewhere in the system.

Hunter addressed common public concerns about playability and safety. He told commissioners the turf vendor performs field checks twice a year and uses on-site measurements of ball speed from home plate to infield positions to ensure the turf plays comparably to dirt fields. He said sand and rubber infill will be used and that vendor representatives will return more frequently if necessary to validate safety metrics.

Public commenters and local youth and sports leaders urged the commission to approve the project. Scott Hegman, identified as the new president of Coral Springs American Little League, and Don Geiger, president of the Coral Springs Slippers travel baseball program, told commissioners their leagues have lost a large share of scheduled games this season to wet fields. Ten-year-old Bruno Guzman, a fifth grader at Eagle Ridge Elementary School, told the commission: "If having turf fields means more playing baseball with my friends, I will be a happy kid." Commissioners noted those community voices in discussion.

Commissioners asked about timeline and operational benefits. Staff said improving drainage and installing turf will reduce rainouts and overtime by park staff, free maintenance crews for other work, and improve field aesthetics. The city manager and commissioners praised the multi-year effort by parks staff to reach this outcome.

The motion to approve the contract passed by unanimous voice vote. The meeting record does not specify the contract price or the precise funding source for the installation; those details were not identified during the public meeting presentation. Staff noted scheduling aims to complete fields in time for the spring season and that organizational coordination with local leagues had been undertaken to allow temporary field sharing during construction.