Walnut Creek council approves Heather Farm turf and lighting upgrades; soccer club pledges $1.5M

Walnut Creek City Council approved plans Dec. 17 to reconstruct Ball Fields 1 and 2 at Heather Farm Park and to move forward with related field lighting projects, clearing the way for a synthetic all-weather turf surface and stadium lighting at Tice Field.

Steve Chapel, general manager of the Walnut Creek Soccer Club, told the council the club represents about 3,000 youth players and their families and has pledged $1,500,000 toward the project. "We have a strong partner in the city," Chapel said, thanking staff and council for the work that led to the agreement.

Michael Hawthorne, associate engineer and the city's project manager for the fields, said the goal is to begin construction in early spring and complete work by late 2025 so the club can use the fields in 2025. "This means that for about 6 or 7 months, Ball Fields 1 and 2 will be under reconstruction," Hawthorne said, adding staff will work with the club on scheduling and interim play options.

Council questions during the item focused on materials and lifecycle expectations. Hawthorne said the turf system will use a synthetic turf surface with organic infill ("geofill"), provided by the selected manufacturer, rather than recycled rubber tire crumb. "The geofill material is made up of coconut and other natural materials, and then also sand," he said. City staff confirmed manufacturer programs exist to recycle turf materials at the end of a field's useful life; life expectancy with good maintenance is approximately 10'14 years.

Councilmember Silva, who said she had served on the soccer club board, thanked the club for its fundraising commitment and moved the motion to approve the item, which passed unanimously.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve Item 2L (Heather Farm ball field reconstruction and related improvements) as presented. - Mover/Second: Council member Silva / (second on record) - Vote: unanimous (Mayor Darling, Mayor Pro Tem Wilk, Council members DeVinny, Francois, Silva).

Speakers

- Steve Chapel, General Manager, Walnut Creek Soccer Club (public comment; first referenced 00:07:54) - Michael Hawthorne, Associate Engineer / Project Manager, City of Walnut Creek (presentation; first referenced 00:10:14) - Council member Silva (questions and motion; first referenced 00:07:54)

Clarifying details

- Club fundraising pledge: $1,500,000 (stated by club representative). - Construction timing: start early spring, completion late 2025; fields closed ~6 to 7 months during reconstruction (stated by project manager). - Turf life expectancy: ~10'14 years with maintenance; manufacturer recycling program exists (stated by staff).

Provenance

- topicintro: transcript excerpt at 00:07:54: "Hello, Mayor Darlene and City Council and city staff. My name is Steve Chapel. I'm the general manager of the Walnut Creek Soccer Club... I represent 3,000 children in our club..." - topfinish: transcript excerpt at 00:13:02: "Motion carries." (roll call concluding item approval)

Searchable tags:["Heather_Farm","soccer_fields","turf","public_private_partnership","Tice_Field"]