The Cheshire Town Council voted unanimously Aug. 25 to appropriate $800,000 for replacement of the synthetic turf field at Cheshire High School after staff presented laboratory testing that showed increasing infill/wear measures in high-use areas of the field.
Town staff said recent testing measured an average reading across 10 test locations near 140 (units as provided in the testing report), with the center of the field testing as high as 184 — higher than earlier reports that showed mid-130s. Staff described the center of a field as the typically most heavily used area and said routine remediation steps such as “fluffing” and adding infill can improve safety and usability short term. Officials also cautioned that the readings can trend upward and require full replacement once threshold levels are exceeded.
Councilors stressed safety and long-term planning. Several members said they favor moving forward now because the field is heavily used by school teams and community groups and because advanced planning is required to schedule replacement and manage costs. Staff noted the town’s turf-replacement fund currently holds about $58,000 from surcharges and that past replacements were financed with a mix of grant, donation and town funding when installed years ago.
Nut graf: Given test readings showing wear concentrated at the field center and increased use patterns (longer seasons and more coached practices), the council authorized the $800,000 bond appropriation to ensure a timely replacement and avoid sudden loss of a main playing surface.
Details: Staff said replacing the turf and potentially coordinating any future track work would be considered through separate budgeting; a combined turf/track replacement estimate mentioned in staff materials was approximately $1.5 million for a larger scope but the council approved the turf replacement alone. Councilors also discussed fundraising by sports groups and the option to channel any extra donations into a turf‑replacement fund.
Ending: The appropriation passed unanimously; staff will proceed with procurement and follow up with schedule and funding details for council consideration.