Next year Clarkston’s football field will assuredly be green, it just may not be grass.
Synthetic turf and a slew of other athletic facilities improvements were brought before the Clarkston School Board at the Dec. 13 regular meeting.
This past fall the School Board heard arguments from CHS Athletic Director Dan Fife and Deputy Superintendent Dave Reschke about the high school’s need for a new team room. At that meeting, several board members wanted to know exactly what other improvements to the school district’s facilities were in order and the master facilities plan was conceived.
Reschke and Fife, who have since been joined by Bruce Bemer and Wes Goodman, have spent the last few months evaluating and estimating all the districts needs along with French Associates, the architectural firm working on the 2003 bond issue.
‘We (did) not come forth with a recommendation, we (came) forth with information,? said Reschke at the Dec. 13 meeting.
The master facilities plan which was presented to the board in the form of three aerial photographs, blown up to poster size and color coded to demarcate the suggested improvements, is thorough and wide sweeping. In total the plan bears an estimated cost of $2.3?$2.5 million. The main focus of the discussion, however, centered on one element of the plan rather than the entire operation.
The proposal for a synthetic turf field to replace the natural grass of the current CHS football field gained favor with the school board.
‘We can use one field instead of using three others,? said Superintendent Dr. Al Roberts. ‘Presently, what that field would look like with all the teams using it would be horrendous.?
Last year only the football teams were able to make use of the natural grass football field. If the school board was to okay the installation of synthetic turf, all CHS? teams, including physical education, could make use of the field, according to Fife.
‘I spoke to a lot of other athletic directors and they use their (synthetic) turf fields extensively,? said Fife.
According to several officials at the meeting, most notably Roberts, there is enough money in the current bond to finance laying down artificial turf at CHS. Sixteen schools in Oakland County have made the move to synthetic turf and the estimated cost is between $700,000 and $800,000.
Part of the board’s rationalization for the field, despite the hefty price tag, is that over time the new synthetic turf will most likely save the district money. The possibility for multiple uses, as well as diminished maintenance costs played heavily on their opinion.
‘Just from the standpoint of cost effectiveness this makes a lot of sense,? said School Board president Kathryn Foyteck.
According to Reschke, the current natural grass field costs $10,000?$15,000 a year in maintenance costs coupled with $3,500 in mowing costs. The increased usage on the synthetic field would lighten the load on the rest of the districts? fields, thereby reducing maintenance costs district wide. The maintenance costs for a synthetic field have not been brought before the board as of yet.
The School Board instructed Reschke and his committee to return for the Jan. 10 meeting with something concrete in regard to the synthetic turf field at CHS.
The rest of the plan will also be discussed at the Jan. 10 meeting. Some of the master facilities plan highlights include another turf field at the junior high, refurbishments to all fields both at secondary education buildings, expansion of and connecting the CHS parking lots, bathrooms at the baseball field, and the aforementioned team room improvements.
‘We do not have money in this bond for two turf fields. We would need another bond or a savings bond or a joint project with the community,? said Roberts. ‘Frankly I think this community would support a plan to expand.?
Beyond the synthetic turf the Clarkston school board is not expected to vote on any other parts of the master facilities plan at the Jan. 10 meeting.