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County hears mixed reaction to artificial‑turf feasibility study for North Mesa and Overlook Park
Summary
NV5 presented a feasibility study and framework plans for potential synthetic turf at North Mesa and Overlook Park; the county heard mixed survey results (survey: 67% said yes/22% no for initial question, later split on specific locations) and cost estimates that range into the tens of millions for framework builds.
Consultants from NV5 and partner firms presented an artificial turf feasibility study to the Los Alamos County Council on Oct. 28 that evaluated the benefits, drawbacks and conceptual designs for synthetic turf at two major sports complexes: North Mesa and Overlook Park.
Anya Pastushevska (NV5) explained that the study was commissioned because of increasing demand for year‑round multiuse fields and a need to improve playability and safety. The team conducted extensive community outreach—five public meetings, focus groups and two surveys that together received about 350 responses—and developed framework site plans for field realignment, accessibility improvements, lighting, and candidate fields for synthetic surfacing.
The analysis weighed tradeoffs. Synthetic turf supports year‑round play and can reduce downtime from freezing and overuse, consultants said, but it raises environmental and human‑health questions, including concerns about PFAS chemicals, microplastics, recyclability, and elevated surface temperatures. NV5 said it would recommend cradle‑to‑cradle certified or low‑PFAS products at the detailed design stage and listed third‑party standards to guide procurement.
Consultants identified candidate fields (Balmer and Lucaviglia at North Mesa; Hope, X Lovato and Dara Jones at Overlook) and produced cost estimates. Baseline “priority” renovations for North Mesa were estimated at about $16.3 million (2028 start point); a fuller phased framework plan for North Mesa was presented at just over $20 million. For Overlook Park, baseline improvements were estimated at ~$22.8 million, with a framework plan estimate near $34 million. Consultants emphasized the estimates assume a 2028 start date to account for inflation.
Councilors asked detailed questions about irrigation (do turf fields need watering to cool surfaces), scheduling and parking impacts, and how the study interacts with recently approved turf work (staff said about $4M is already allocated for turf field re‑surfacing). Consultants and county staff said irrigation for cooling is uncommon in northern New Mexico and that PFAS concerns are product‑specific; Todd Smith noted that the “bad kind” of PFAS referenced by public concern are not the chemicals typically present in synthetic turf materials they had reviewed.
Survey results were split depending on question wording: an initial survey question showed 67% supportive of installing artificial turf on some county fields; a later survey that showed specific siting options produced a mix of support and opposition for proposed locations, with notable numbers both for and against. Consultants recommended the study be used as a planning toolbox rather than a commitment to build.
Next steps: staff said the study is intended to inform future master planning and design; any decision to install synthetic turf would require separate budget approvals and product‑level specifications to address environmental and health standards.
