Council dedicates $90,000 to study fields, and feasibility of a new field house

Town also invites school department to join in the feasibility studies

By Josh Bickford
Posted 2/8/23

The town will hire outside consultants to study issues related to the athletic fields in Barrington.

One study will focus on building a recreation center/ field house in Barrington, while the …

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Council dedicates $90,000 to study fields, and feasibility of a new field house

Town also invites school department to join in the feasibility studies

Posted

The town will hire outside consultants to study issues related to the athletic fields in Barrington.

One study will focus on building a recreation center/ field house in Barrington, while the other study will serve as an assessment of the town’s existing athletic fields.

During the Feb. 6 meeting, members of the Barrington Town Council discussed the ongoing effort to improve the athletic fields and facilities in town. The discussion followed a recent workshop where town councilors, sports league officials and other residents shared their thoughts.

After discussing artificial turf, council members turned their attention toward an assessment of athletic fields and a study focused on the feasibility of building a field house/recreation center in town. 

Barrington Town Council President Carl Kustell said he supported funding the studies. Councilor Kate Berard asked if the field house study would include potential locations.

Barrington Town Manager Phil Hervey said it probably would, adding that the study would also include cost estimates and recommendations on how the town could pay for a facility. 

A short time later, Kustell made a motion to approve $40,000 for the completion of a recreation center/field house feasibility study. Officials said they would use money from the town’s allotment of the American Rescue Plan Act to pay for the study. 

Council members voted 4-0 to approve the motion.

Officials then made a second motion — they called for $50,000 to conduct a fields assessment. Hervey said the study will focus on the condition of existing athletic fields in Barrington and also the potential construction of artificial turf fields. The town will use money from the “Field Maintenance Fund” to pay for the study.

The motion passed, 4-0. 

Council members also voted 4-0 to formerly invite officials from the Barrington School Department to join in the two studies — councilors said the school district’s involvement is important since the schools stand to benefit from a new field house and any other field improvements.

 In defense of artificial turf

At the Feb. 6 meeting, Council member Rob Humm reiterated his support for installing an artificial turf field in town. 

He said one of the concerns shared during the recent workshop was whether artificial turf caused more injuries than natural grass. Humm said there are numerous studies regarding the issue — some state that there is no increase in injuries on artificial turf, while others state there is an increase.

The studies, he said, are “all over the map.”

Humm said the NFL’s Tennessee Titans organization recently decided to install artificial turf in its new stadium. Humm also told his fellow council members about comments from area college officials who support the use of artificial turf — he said that if medical staff at Brown University, Providence College and other colleges had concerns about the safety of artificial turf, they would not install it on their campuses. Every college in Rhode Island has turf fields, Humm has said. 

Humm said his work on the issue — the councilor drafted a lengthy presentation regarding Barrington’s athletic fields and facilities — included a survey of other Rhode Island cities and towns that have installed turf fields. Officials from those communities told Humm that they have seen no difference in injuries on artificial turf fields. 

Humm said Barrington High School Director of Athletics George Finn, who is also a longtime athletic trainer, is in favor of an artificial turf field in Barrington. 

Berard said she wanted to focus her immediate attention on the feasibility studies, pushing back from debating the merits of an artificial turf field in Barrington.

Hervey then spoke about the potential locations for an artificial turf field; he also shared details in a memo to the council members. Hervey said there were a limited number of places the town could put a turf field. One possible spot was at Barrington Middle School — he said the fields were not in a flood plain. 

Hervey was careful to say he was neither endorsing nor condemning the possible locations.

Humm challenged the suggestion that officials should not consider building a turf field at the high school because the property is located in a flood plain. Humm said there are many ways the construction could mitigate potential problems from flooding — raising the athletic fields or building berms to protect them.

Humm also dispelled those who have said that flooded artificial turf fields cannot be played upon again. Humm pointed to a number of artificial turf fields built in Chapel Hill, N.C. He said the fields were flooded by a hurricane in 2018 — the fields were covered in 37 inches of water, Humm said. 

Within 24 hours, athletes were playing on those fields again, Humm added. 

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