Boyertown Area SD readies turf-field bid after stormwater permits, seeks contractor bids

Boyertown Area School District consultant Jamie Lynch of CHA told the board on Aug. 26 that the district has completed geotechnical and stormwater design for two synthetic turf playing fields and has the required conservation-district permit and township approvals to advertise for bids.

The project as presented would create a turf field inside the stadium track (the base bid) and a multi-sport Field 1 as an alternate. Lynch said the stadium field design includes two-tone turf with multiple sport lines, removable protective netting at each end zone, underdrain systems and an underground stormwater basin under the field that will retain and release runoff through the existing outlet. "We have the NPDS permit in hand from the county conservation district, and we have township approvals in place," Lynch said. He described a cross section of the field as turf over a shock pad over engineered drainage stone designed to drain up to 22 inches per hour.

The bid package will be open to multiple turf vendors. Lynch said each vendor must supply certifications that their products do not contain harmful chemicals. The board packet lists vendor options and provides bid alternates: an "unclassified excavation" alternate that shifts rock‑removal risk to the contractor, and two infill alternates (a coated crumb‑rubber product and an organic wood‑chip product called "BrocFill") that the district will compare on bid day. Lynch said the stadium is the base bid and Field 1 is an alternate; the district can choose to award one or both fields depending on bids.

Lynch reviewed accessories included in the procurement: goal posts, aluminum benches, multiple sport goals, a turf groomer and extra turf materials for future repairs. He also said the contract will require annual g‑max testing for the warranty period and training for grounds staff.

Board members asked several clarifying questions. One asked whether additional protective measures for a house adjacent to Field 1 were shown; Lynch replied that end‑line nets and a line of trees up the slope were incorporated in the design and that the detail appears in the bid documents. Another member asked how much the district has spent so far on design and permitting; Lynch said he would coordinate with the business office to produce a total. Questions also covered whether the district would provide the bleachers (the cement pad for bleachers is in the design; Lynch said the bleachers themselves are district‑owned and not an added bid cost), whether existing field drains would be reused (he said existing drains will be removed and replaced as part of the new design), and whether the project includes new parking or restrooms (Lynch said no new parking lot or bathrooms are included; Field 1 will reuse an existing parking lot and include an ADA path and ramp).

Lynch repeated the publicly shared schedule: advertise and hold a pre‑bid meeting, receive and tabulate bids, present award recommendations to the board in October, and—if awarded—issue a notice to proceed with field mobilization in March (Field 1) and May (stadium) with substantial completion targeted in August. He said bidding early should attract contractors planning summer work. Lynch did not provide a revised total project estimate in the meeting; the consultant said the estimate on the district slide remains unchanged from prior presentations (the packet shows a total estimate figure that the board discussed during Q&A).

The presentation also included a list of existing synthetic turf installations in the surrounding counties and at some colleges; Lynch said the township asked for local experience reports and that his follow‑up calls to other districts produced no reports of water‑quality problems tied to turf installations.

Why it matters: approval to advertise for bids moves the project from design and permitting into procurement and could commit capital funds if the board later approves a contract. The design choices (infill type, excavation risk allocation) and bid outcomes will shape cost and long‑term maintenance obligations.

The administration said it will advertise the project for public bids, hold a pre‑bid meeting and return to the board with tabulated bids and a recommendation for contract award.

Looking ahead: the board can expect bid results and an award recommendation at an October meeting; the district will then finalize contractor selection, shop drawings and procurement to meet a spring construction start.