Politics & Government

Belmont Seeks Consultant for Turfing of Sports Complex Field

The deadline for all proposal submissions is 5 p.m. on April 15.

The city of Belmont and are accepting applications for consultant services in connection with the turfing of the fields.

Belmont is looking for a consultant with "proven experience, expertise and innovation in the successful design and installation of multi-use synthetic turf athletic fields," according to a statement released by the city on Tuesday.

In addition, the consultant should have "the ability to mitigate community concerns related to health, safety and environmental issues surrounding the use of synthetic turf products," the statement continued.

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The city's "Request for Proposal" for consultant services is part of the design process for the Synthetic Turf Project.

The City Council approved a resolution that authorizes up to $75,000 for the design process at its Feb. 22 meeting.

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The design process includes hiring a consultant, as well as "engaging the users in a series of meetings to determine the field configuration, and further evaluation and development of funding sources for the project," according to staff reports.

The Belmont Sports Complex is comprised of three athletic fields, including a little league field, a softball/soccer field, and a baseball/soccer field.

Turfing the four-acre field would cost more than $2 million, more than planting real grass, but Parks and Recreation Director Jonathan Gervais said a turf field would significantly dial down the water bill and ultimately cost less over time.

In 2008, the Belmont Sports Complex field required more than 4.5 million gallons of water. That breaks down to about 12,000 gallons a day, the size of a small swimming pool.

Installing synthetic turf has been a for quite some time in Belmont, and last year, Belmont applied for a state grant for $1.8 million to be used for turfing the field. But the city learned in the fall that it hadn't received the grant, and the project stalled.

Thousands of Belmont residents use the field each year. The city estimates 7,500 families participate in youth sports programs in Belmont and during a soccer season weekend, approximately 2,000 youth and adults visit the Sports Complex for games.

The proposed project includes installing synthetic turf on the four-acre North Field, and potentially the South Field, according to staff reports.

The deadline for all proposal submissions is 5 p.m. on April 15. To request the RFP, please contact George Brunson at (650) 595-7424 or gbrunson@belmont.gov.


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