ALEXANDRIA, VA — As residents shared mixed opinions on adding synthetic turf on a field at Del Ray’s largest park, the Alexandria Planning Commission advanced the park’s renovation plan.
The Alexandria Planning Commission held a public hearing Tuesday on Eugene Simpson Stadium Park’s proposed renovations. Final review goes to City Council, which will have a public hearing scheduled for June 17.
Simpson Stadium Park is a 16-acre park with two baseball fields, a tennis court, basketball court, dog park and more features. The city government’s parks and recreation proposed a renovation with new bleachers and dugouts on both baseball fields, adding new turf at both baseball fields, relocating the basketball court with new lighting, expanding parking spaces and more.
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One of the proposals that has drawn the most scrutiny has been adding synthetic turf on Big Simpson field. A city staff report says the synthetic turf field will provide stormwater detention, which will “detain stormwater onsite and reduce flooding.”
According to city staff, synthetic turf fibers can last approximately 10 years. On Little Simpson field, regrading of natural turf is proposed to improve drainage rather than synthetic turf.
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Much of the opposed testimony on the park’s renovation plan focused on the heat effects of synthetic turf, which studies show gets hotter in the sun than natural turf.
Annie Ebbers of the Del Ray Citizens Association’s land use committee voiced opposition to synthetic turf in testimony to the Planning Commission. The citizens association has shared environmental concerns of unknown effects of chemicals from the turf as well as heat effects.
Ebbers said a citizens association member measured the temperature on a Jefferson-Houston School synthetic turf field as 110 degrees on a 78-degree day. Another member reported that her shoes were starting to melt on synthetic turf.
“You can only imagine how hot it will get in the height of summer,” said Ebbers.
Brian Collins, another Del Ray resident, told the Planning Commission he recorded temperatures at Jefferson-Houston’s synthetic turf last summer and found temperatures up to 135 degrees.
Collins says he supports making fields more available but doesn’t believe it’s possible with higher temperatures.
“So I’m all in for making field available, but nobody seems to really acknowledge that when the field’s 105, which it already exceeded this spring at times, it’s really probably not safe to play,” said Collins.
Other residents affiliated with sports teams voiced support for adding synthetic turf to address poor drainage conditions on the current field.
Sherry Reilly, president of Alexandria Little League, said synthetic turf would help with the busy scheduling for fields. There are two big fields that various sports teams use — Simpson Stadium Park’s big field and Frank Mann Field, which is used by the Alexandria Aces, Bishop Ireton High School, and Alexandria Little League teams.
These organizations — the Alexandria Little League, Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria City High School, the Alexandria Reds travel league, and the American Legion league expressed support for synthetic turf in a letter to the city.
“Practices are two to three hours long, games are three hours long. Getting all of these organizations on fields is a challenge alone, and then weather comes into effect, and we’re super challenged,” said Reilly. “So being able to have synthetic turf on Big Simpson would do a lot to alleviate some of those challenges. We would at least be able to get everybody’s games in during the spring, the rainy spring season or rainy fall season.”
Thomas Blackwood, an Alexandria Little League board member, noted the field doesn’t drain well, causing teams to miss practices or games. He also noted the city has had to close it at times to allow grass to grow back.
“The current grass field also is in not in great shape right now,” said Blackwood. “We just finished the high school season there and the other teams are starting to use it. There’s numerous bare spots in the infield. Ground balls frequently take bad hops due to the poor quality of the dirt. It’s known as the Simpson bounce, and the infielders from visiting teams aren’t quite used to it.”
Final design for the park renovation is expected to be complete in January 2024. Construction could begin in fall 2024 and be complete in 2025.
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