Maple Ridge is about to start work on a second all-weather sports field and replace another that’s getting a little worn down at the same time.
Council, on Tuesday, was to vote on replacing the all-weather field at Samuel Robertson Technical at the same time as it installs a new all-weather field at the Arthur Peake Centre, next to Golden Ears elementary.
If approved, the two new fields would use “greener” materials instead of the recycled crumb rubber that earlier fields used. Neighbours around Golden Ears elementary had expressed concerns during the consultation process about the use of crumb rubber and the possible health effects.
Total cost to install both surfaces rings in at about $1.27 million, according to a staff report.
The number is based on a recommended bid by Worldwide Turf Inc., with the cost to install the new field at Arthur Peake Centre being $567,000 and the cost of replacing the turf field at Samuel Robertson coming to $703,000. The latter is funded separately from the turf field replacement fund.
The cost for the Arthur Peake Centre surface is for the playing surface only. Construction costs fore redeveloping the entire area will be in addition to that amount.
Council was also to vote on a bid to award a $2.5-million contract for the construction portion, which includes a parking lot.
Costs for the Arthur Peake Centre project, however, are about $300,000 more than expected because of extra excavation of organic material that is required. The site may have been used as an organics dump site.
The field at Samuel Robertson Technical was first installed in 2005 and has lasted past the warranty period. If council approves a new artificial surface, it will be installed during the summer. The new artificial field at Arthur Peake Centre would be installed by next September.
The new field at Arthur Peake will be the second all-weather surace to open this year in Maple Ridge after this past week’s opening of Karina LeBlanc Field, next to Maple Ridge secondary.
Both fields are funded separately, apart from the recently approved alternative approval process, which allows borrowing of $10 million for two new all-weather fields at Thomas Haney secondary.