Manager: Victory Field is a better location for artificial turf

Reminder: Field discussion is set for Wednesday, Feb. 6

Posted 1/29/19

Some people in town are calling for the construction of turf fields at the middle school, but Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha said Victory Field is a better location. 

Mr. Cunha said there …

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Manager: Victory Field is a better location for artificial turf

Reminder: Field discussion is set for Wednesday, Feb. 6

Posted

Some people in town are calling for the construction of turf fields at the middle school, but Barrington Town Manager Jim Cunha said Victory Field is a better location. 

Mr. Cunha said there are a number of reasons why the high school varsity football field would be the optimal spot for construction of an artificial turf field in town. The town manager said the field's natural grass surface and the surrounding track oval are "old and tired" and need to be replaced. 

Mr. Cunha said Victory Field already has lights, but the middle school campus does not. The installation of new lights at the middle school could cost more than $1 million. 

The town manager also said there may be a perfect opportunity in the next few years to construct a turf field at the high school, as officials will likely need to bond for a new roof at the school within the next three years; a new artificial turf field and new track could be included in the bond.

"To me that would be an opportunity to look at," said Mr. Cunha. "It makes absolute sense."

The chairman of the Barrington Park and Recreation Commission approached the Barrington School Committee recently, calling for an in-depth look at the construction of turf fields at the middle school. Mike Seward said commission members wanted to know the school committee's position regarding the artificial turf proposal. 

Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore said the turf field proposal is a community issue; he said there were some concerns about whether an artificial turf field would fit with the middle school construction bond. 

Last week, local youth sports league official Seth Fisher wrote a letter to the editor listing some of the reasons the town should install artificial turf fields at the middle school. 

Jim Talbot, a Pennsylvania resident whose daughter and granddaughters live in Barrington, also shared his support for a new turf field in town: "As a former athletic director and coach here in the Philadelphia area I have been frustrated with the powers that be up there who have not approved a turf field (or two!) for those terrific athletes in the Barrington community. We recently put in two turf fields at my school here and the benefits are readily apparent: year round play for school and community teams, safe footing in all types weather, proper preparation for aspiring field hockey players who play on turf fields exclusively in college, an area for youngsters to play outdoors during recess times, rentals year-round for organizations needing field space, minimal maintenance costs, etc. I could go on, but you get the drift."

Some residents are opposed to the artificial turf fields.

"There is no safer surface for athletic play than organic natural grass," wrote Jennifer Boylan. "If our town would invest in state-of-the-art organic natural grass fields with the guidance of a turf grass expert and a long-term comprehensive field management plan, the health of our children, athletes, and our planet would be far better protected."

Ann Strong questioned the proposal: "Those same folk who implored the Town Council to ban (plastic shopping) bags would now happily send their kids out to play on this same material?"

Field discussion is Wednesday, Feb. 6

The Barrington Town Council has planned a workshop on athletic fields for Wednesday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at the town hall. The workshop will be a "general discussion" about all topics relating to the fields, including the proposed field fee increase. 

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