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Design team presents synthetic-turf plan for Twin Valley varsity baseball and softball fields
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Summary
Design consultant Matt Harlow and contractors outlined a plan to convert Twin Valley School District’s varsity baseball and softball fields to synthetic turf, describing site constraints (gas-line easement, sewer), stormwater controls (a DEP-managed-release concept), warranty options and a permitting timeline that could allow construction between seasons.
Matt Harlow, the district’s design consultant from ELA, told the Twin Valley School District board on April 13 that the proposed conversion of the varsity baseball and softball fields to synthetic turf is intended to reduce weather-related cancellations and long-term maintenance costs. Harlow said the project would replace the natural-grass diamonds with full synthetic turf, new dugouts and backstops while keeping and working around existing stadium lights.
The presentation noted several site constraints that shape the design. ‘‘The yellow highlighted perimeter on the baseball field is a gas line and easement,’’ Harlow said, adding that a sanitary sewer runs behind home plate and that slopes near the outfield limit how far the fields can be moved. He described a retaining wall to manage grade and said the design will rely on subsurface drainage because synthetic turf does not drain on the surface.
Harlow said soil testing last summer showed infiltration rates below Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) thresholds, requiring a managed release concept (MRC) for stormwater. ‘‘This is one of the first projects DEP had seen for an MRC under turf fields,’’ he said, and the team spent several months obtaining a DEP preliminary design preapproval.
Contractors described warranty and construction options. An installer noted standard industry warranties are typically eight years; the district’s existing shock pad on the stadium field yielded a 12-year warranty on previous work. The contractor said adding a shock pad can extend warranty life but may not be necessary for baseball and softball unless the district plans heavy multi-sport use or large public events.
Board members pressed on practical details: ball containment at the softball field, options for high netting, placement of bullpens and spectator sightlines, whether lines for other sports or marching band could be added, and cleat restrictions on turf (metal cleats are not permitted). Harlow said netting is feasible but costly, that temporary or painted lines are possible, and that the team will coordinate with Musco on lighting and with township and conservation district staff on stormwater plans.
On schedule and permitting, the presenters recommended an accelerated NPDES process (at a higher administrative fee) that, combined with DEP preapproval, could produce permits in roughly 60 days, and estimated construction could range from about two to six months depending on scope. Harlow said the next steps are finalizing the MRC design, completing a township stormwater site plan, submitting NPDES/erosion-control documentation to the county conservation district, and advancing cost estimates for board consideration.
The board asked staff and the consultants to refine pricing and design details (including possible locations for additional seating, parking, and temporary bleachers) and to return with estimates and a recommended timeline so the district can aim to complete construction between seasons.
