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Board advances concept to convert Don Palmer Field to turf with lights; referendum and fundraising next
Summary
After months of site study and public comment, the board approved concept approval to pursue turf and lights for Don Palmer Field and to include the project (with two others) in a proposed bond referendum; residents and students largely voiced support but administrators cautioned about referendum timing and budget impacts.
The Five Town CSD school board voted Nov. 6 to advance concept design for converting Don Palmer Field to artificial turf, adding lights and upgrading audio, and to include the work in a proposed bond package.
Administrators said they explored many off‑campus and on‑campus options for an additional full‑size grass field but were repeatedly blocked by wetlands and access constraints. After evaluating options, district leaders recommended converting Don Palmer to turf with lights to double usable hours, reduce weather‑related cancellations and handle significantly higher seasonal use.
Public comment at the meeting included coaches, parents, students and an engineer who argued turf and lights would expand practice and game windows, ease travel burdens and improve scheduling; typical public comments ran three minutes. Wade Ward, a Camden resident and coach, and other speakers described increased participation and scheduling problems without lights. An engineer assisting the district noted that while turf surfaces have replacement cycles, the base and drainage work can be preserved so surface replacement is less expensive than rebuilding a field.
Administrators discussed costs and fundraising. Maria said the turf + lights package was approximately a $2 million item in preliminary planning, with $500,000 identified as likely fundraised for lights and scoreboard work; administrators proposed packaging turf, siding/windows and an auditorium/athletics set of projects into a roughly $7 million bond. The district said a February referendum is likely to allow inclusion in FY26 budget planning; staff estimated a first‑year bond payment around $630,000 and said the district will need community fundraising support to reduce taxpayer burden.
The board moved to approve the turf concept and voted in favor. The administration said next steps include developing design documents, firm cost estimates, the bond question language and a community outreach plan before any referendum or construction contract is executed.
