Planning Commission finds FY2027 capital projects consistent with POCD despite objections over $2.2M Simsbury High turf and track

At its March meeting the Planning Commission voted to find the town's FY2027 capital projects consistent with the Plan of Conservation and Development and referred the package onward, despite outspoken concern about a $2.2 million replacement of Simsbury High School's turf and track.

Commissioner Bill moved the motion that the commission "finds that the fiscal year 2027 capital projects as referenced in the staff memorandum dated March 16th, 2026 and as described in the memorandum from the deputy town manager dated March 3rd, 2026 are consistent with the Plan of Conservation and Development." The motion carried with four yes votes, one no and one abstention; Commissioner Julie stated she was the abstention.

The most contested item was the combined turf and track replacement for Simsbury High School, which commissioners were told accounts for about $2.2 million, roughly 23% of the FY2027 request. Commissioner Holly pressed staff and fellow commissioners on the project's size and recurring expenses, saying the town has previously paid roughly $100,000 every few years for maintenance and asking whether grass alternatives or other options had been fully reconsidered. "That seems like a lot of money for artificial turf," Holly said, noting the project felt "way out of whack" with other community facility needs.

Town staff and other commissioners responded that the school district vetted alternatives and that the high level of year-round use on the specific high school field makes natural turf impractical. Staff noted the packet included project descriptions, capital cost sheets and funding sources; the commission's statutory role in this referral is to determine consistency with the POCD, not to perform line-item budget cuts. "There is such a high level of activity and use on almost a 12-month, 365-day basis on the high school field that grass simply can't sustain that level of use," a staff member said.

Commissioners also discussed life-expectancy figures given in the project sheet: turf replacement cycles were described in the packet as approximately 10 years and track resurfacing at about 15 years. Several commissioners said they wished cost and environmental concerns had been raised earlier in the budget/public hearing process rather than at the referral stage, while others said the commission's charge is limited to a consistency determination under POCD policies about community facilities.

The commission documented the vote totals in the meeting record (four yays, one nay, one abstention) and forwarded the referral as consistent with the POCD. The motion's supporting documents include the staff memorandum dated March 16, 2026 and a deputy town manager memorandum dated March 3, 2026.

Next steps: the referral will proceed to the board of selectmen and the board of finance as part of the town's budget process. The commission did not amend or remove individual projects during its review.

Sources: Planning Commission meeting transcript; staff memoranda referenced in the motion.