$3.95 million track and field project for E.O. Smith High School finds support at public hearing

December 17, 2008 Local News Comments Off

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The project is about $4.35 million less than the $8.3 million version that the Region 19 Board of Education originally proposed in July.

About three dozen residents from the towns that make up Regional School District 19 came out for a Dec. 16 public hearing on the proposed $3.95 million upgrade to Edwin O. Smith High School’s track and field facilities.

The project is about $4.35 million less than the $8.3 million version that the Region 19 Board of Education originally proposed in July.

After listening to concerns raised at previous hearings in the member towns of Ashford, Willington and Mansfield, the board opted to scale back to the least extensive version of the project, but one that would still address a number of serious problems with the track and athletic fields.

At Tuesday’s hearing, audience member Barbara Casey asked if the $8.3 million plan might still be carried out if it was done in phases.”We’re at a place where we have to do something, because it’s so bad,” she said.

School board Chairman Fran Archambault said the board did discuss “in depth” the possibility of working in phases but that given current economic troubles, “we feel the timing is inappropriate.”

“But we haven’t given up our vision,” he added.

Current facilities are “embarrassing”

The overall tone of the public hearing was one of support for the project.

Mike Miller, who graduated from E.O.Smith and is now an indoor track coach, said repairs to the school’s track are long overdue. “I dealt with running in the hallways,’” he said, and added that the state of the school’s outdoor track is “embarrassing.”

Another speaker, Rick Schwab, said the board is making a “brave decision, in these times,” but one that will not only benefit E.O. Smith’s students, but also enhance the marketability of the town as a whole by upping the quality of the school’s athletic program.

Is it safe?

Several questions from the audience were about the safety and durability of the proposed synthetic turf that will be used for the renovated fields. For example, is it true this material can become hot?

The project’s landscape architect David Dixson, of Milone & MacBroom, said that the polypropylene does “heat up significantly,” but that it doesn’t retain heat. For example, if a cloud passes over the area, “the temperature drops dramatically,” he said. [Click here for overview of study]

He also noted that the heat doesn’t transmit through the infill material – and therefore, the surface dissipates heat quickly.

Responding to another question, he said that the renovated field would have a lifespan of about 10 to 12 years.

As for the track, the school “should get at least 20 years out of the running surface,” he said. However, this is if the track is properly maintained, which includes applying a new spray coat every 6 years, at a cost of about $50,000 each time.

E. O. Smith’s Physical Education Department Head Kevin Erickson pointed out some of the pluses of synthetic turf, such as holding up much better under a variety of typical New England weather conditions, so that the fields could be in use into November and beginning in March.

He added that P.E. classes run from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every school day, so the fields, “take a pretty good pounding.”

Director of Buildings and Grounds Ralph Pemberton, responding to a question about maintenance costs, said District 19 contracts with the town for maintenance at about $80,000 a year, “and about 50 percent is for the fields.”

With synthetic turf, there is no mowing, no fertilizing, no striping, “so I actually expect the operating budget to go down,” he said.

Erickson also spoke in support of renovating the tennis courts, which currently are zigzagged with patching. “Those patches aren’t flush with the surface… they’re easy to get your foot caught in,” he said.

Principal Lou DeLoreto reminded the audience that E. O. Smith is now paying to bus the school’s track and field athletes off-site, because the track has been condemned. Which, he said, is one of the reasons E.O, Smith has “the poorest outdoor athletic facility” in the Central Connecticut Conference.

Parent Ron Baker asked where E. O. Smith’s facilities will rank on the CCC list after the renovations.

“We’d probably be comparable to most schools in the region,” said DeLoreto.

Cost per town

Mansfield Finance Director Jeff Smith presented estimations of how much each of the District 19 towns could expect to contribute to repaying the bonded debt for the first four of the eight-year repayment period.

The numbers are based on each town’s current mill rate, and projected enrollment.

The total annual bond repayment amount would be $128,375 the first year (2010-2011), $237,000 the second year (2011/12), $387,000 the third year (2012/13) and $378,000 the fourth year (2013/14).

Ashford’s share for the four years would be $27,766 – $52,283 – $89,801 – $89,046.The average tax increase per Ashford resident would be $14 the first year, $27 the second, $46 the third, and $45 the fourth.
Mansfield’s share for the four years would be $70,984 – $124,441 – $195,994 – $193,828.The average tax increase per Mansfield resident would be $13, $23, $36, $36.
Willington’s share for the four years would be $29,625 – $60,276 – $101,204 – $95,126.The average tax increase per Willington resident would be $10, $21, $36, $33.

The project is expected to be put to a referendum vote on Feb. 10, 2009. Polling will take place in each of the three towns. The project passes if the total of “yes” votes when all three towns’ results are added together is greater than the total number of “no” votes.

Project overview

Replacement of the 6-lane running track;
A synthetic multi-purpose field within the track to be used by competitive sport teams – including football, soccer and field hockey, and the school’s physical education programs;
Bleachers that seat at least 850 spectators;
Stadium lighting to extend team practice times;
Alteration of the existing storage building to add restrooms and a concessions window;
Resurfacing of existing tennis courts;
Irrigation at Farrell Fields [adjacent to the post office];
Installation of a P.A. system and scoreboard