Yorktown High School is getting new synthetic turf for its stadium at Greenbrier Park.

The Arlington County Board on Saturday voted 5-0 to approve a $674,000 contract with Fieldturf USA for the project, which is described as a “total makeover” of the field, which is “worn beyond reasonable repair.”

The Greenbrier Park field is used for school events and sports like football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, in addition to use by the community. Arlington Public Schools will pay half of the field replacement cost.

“Improvements to the Greenbrier Park/Yorktown High School field will consist of replacement of the synthetic turf surfacing, inlaid game field markings (including mid-field logo and end zone lettering), replacement of corner flags, combination football/soccer goals, and discus cage, as well as necessary repairs to the field base,” notes the project website.

The new turf will utilize an alternative infill, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), instead of crumb rubber from recycled tires. Some have raised concerns about a possible cancer risk from crumb rubber, though in a press release the county said the decision to use EPDM was about athlete safety and turf durability.

“The product is softer than crumb rubber and is less abrasive on turf fibers than rubber,” notes the county. A shock-absorbing pad is also being installed under the turf, to improve safety and reduce concussions among youth athletes.

Construction is expected to take place during the summer, wrapping up in time for the new school year. The total project cost, including design and project management, is pegged at $1.6 million.

 

Source : arlnow.com

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