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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/07/2008, B2 - RESULTS OF THE ATHLETIC FIELDS NEEDS ASSESSMENT i council m_°'° og- j acEnda REpoRt �N CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO FROM: Betsy Kiser, Parks and Recreation Director SUBJECT: RESULTS OF THE ATHLETIC FIELDS NEEDS ASSESSMENT CAO RECOMMENDATION 1. Accept recommendations contained in the Athletic Fields Needs Assessment report, including that the City not install synthetic turf at any City playing field at this time and, instead,pursue the other high priority recommendations identified in the report. 2. If the current rehabilitation plan for Damon-Garcia fails and funding is available, first consider installing synthetic turf at Daryl Damon Field, rather than at any of the City's baseball diamonds. 3. Close-out the budget balance remaining for this project of $960,000 to the Parkland Development Fund (park in-lieu fees) balance; and as part of the 2009-11 Financial Plan and Budget process, consider allocating the resulting available fund balance to other appropriate and eligible park improvement projects. DISCUSSION Background In December 2005, staff presented a comprehensive report to the Council on synthetic turf and received authorization to prepare a capital improvement project request for the 2007-09 Financial Plan to install the product at Stockton Field, a.youth baseball diamond located in Sinsheimer Park. During the current 2007-09 Financial Plan process, however, the Council questioned the estimated high cost of the project and asked staff to return with an in-depth cost-benefit analysis of the product before proceeding further. While doing the research and preparing the report for the proposed study session, the staff team working on the issue began to"step back" and ponder more fundamental questions about the path being pursued toward this capital project. The first question was whether investing $1 million dollars at Stockton Field baseball diamond would be the wisest location for the synthetic turf option given its limited size, or if it might make more sense to shift focus to the SLO Baseball Stadium surface, which could accommodate many more sport turf needs due to its larger footprint. The synthetic turf estimate for SLO Baseball Stadium, however, was approximately$2 million. This led to two, more fundamental questions: 1. What are the present unmet needs of the field users in the community, given the addition of Damon Garcia Sports Fields and the renovations to Stockton Field and El Chorro Fields (all new additions since the 2005 request)? a - 1 Results of Athletic Fields Needs Assessment Page 2 2. Is an expensive investment in synthetic turf the best means of meeting those needs or are there other more cost-effective alternatives? To consider these questions, on January 12, 2008, staff requested Council authorization to delay the study session on synthetic turf; conduct an Athletic Fields Needs Assessment to explore all options for enhancing athletic fields; and allocate funding from the synthetic turf capital improvement project to complete the study. The analysis was designed to identify unmet needs and options for meeting those needs, including a cost analysis and priorities for potential field development strategies. Once the study was completed, and the findings then reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Joint Use Committee and the Youth Sports Association, staff was to return to Council for further discussion and direction. Athletic Fields Needs Assessment In late spring, staff hired Wendy George (previous Assistant City Administrative Officer) to conduct the Athletic Fields Needs Assessment. The primary objective of the report was to address the following issues: 1. Identification of youth and adult sports organizations using diamond and turf fields in the City of San Luis Obispo 2. Identification of athletic fields being used by these organizations 3. Identification of field use schedules 4. Assessment of user needs as determined by personal interviews with group representatives 5. Exploration of strategies for addressing those needs, including public/private partnerships with other organizations within the community 6. Review of possible new field development in future City expansion areas 7. Evaluation of current Damon-Garcia sports fields use 8. Recommendation of best practices for Damon-Garcia fields use and determination of their optimal level of use 9. Consideration of the pros and cons of artificial turf placement on City athletic fields 10. Development of a prioritized list of strategies to meet users' needs and maximize field use. The study was completed on August 26, .2008. The Executive Summary is included as Attachment 1 and the full report is located in the Council Reading File. A total of twenty-nine recommendations evolved through the course of the study and are prioritized in the report as follows: 1. Highest priority to be implemented as soon as possible (low hanging fruit). Sixteen recommendations have been identified as highest priority and consist of very practical, attainable, low-cost mechanisms for improving the use of existing fields. Staff already has begun implementing many of these recommendations. 1 Results of Athletic Fields Needs Assessment Page 3 2. Lower priority for future consideration. Ten recommendations have been identified as lower priority due either to cost, timing constraints or project readiness. 3. Actions not recommended at this time. Four recommendations fell into this category, primarily because of extenuating circumstances rendering them impractical at this time. Best Use of Synthetic Turf One the key findings in the report is that if the City was to install synthetic turf, the best candidate for this product is not our baseball fields as originally considered, but soccer fields at Damon-Garcia. One reason for this finding is that the natural turf on these fields has experienced durability issues resulting in an aggressive and expensive maintenance program to improve the soil and turf conditions of the fields (Damon-Garcia Fields Turf Improvement Program, 2007-09 Financial Plan). The second reason is that the most consistent need expressed by the current users of playing fields in and near the City of San Luis Obispo was for more access to the Damon-Garcia Sports Fields for sports such as soccer. With the potential introduction of lacrosse at some point in the future, the Damon Garcia fields could become even more impacted. The need expressed was for game and tournament locations, not for more practice fields. While it might be possible to incorporate a full-sized soccer field into the outfields of the SLO Baseball Stadium or Stockton Field, doing so would be expensive, would not necessarily be in the best interest of the diamond sports, and would only be available for turf sport use during non-baseball seasons. Optimally, installing synthetic turf on one of the lower Damon-Garcia fields would be the best choice, given the amount of use the small fields receive. However, given that these fields act as flood plains, Daryl Damon is the recommended field for any future synthetic turf. Synthetic turf could allow for about 50%more playing time on the field, and open the possibility of its use by more damaging sports such as football or rugby. Ms. George will be available to present the findings of the assessment and to answer any questions the Council may have regarding either the process or the results. Next Steps 1. Pursue Highest Recommendations and Evaluate Lower Priority Recommendations. Staff already has begun implementing the recommendations contained in the highest priority category and will evaluate those in the lower priority for implementation readiness and follow-up time frames. Once the highest priority recommendations are fully implemented, staff will evaluate the outcomes and provide Council with a follow-up report sometime next year. 2. Discontinue the Current Synthetic Turf Project Given the report recommendations, staff recommends discontinuing current funding in the Parkland Development Fund (park in-lieu fees) for synthetic turf in the amount of $960,000. This will "free-up" this funding for consideration in meeting higher priority park facility needs. C4- Results of Athletic Fields Needs Assessment Page 4 3. Consider Reallocating Funding in 2009-IL As part of the 2009-11 Financial Plan and Budget process, staff recommends that Council consider reallocating the resulting available funding to other appropriate and eligible park improvement projects. CONCURRENCES The results of the Athletic Fields Needs Assessment were presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Joint Use Committee and the Youth Sports Association, with concurrences provided by all (see Attachment 2 for minutes and notes from the presentations). FISCAL IMPACT There is no direct fiscal impact relative to accepting the recommendations contained in the report. If, upon further analysis, implementation of the more costly lower priority recommendations is found to be necessary and/or timely, the projects would be brought forward during the 2009-11 Financial Plan process and considered by the Council for funding through the Capital Improvement Plan. By not pursuing synthetic turf at this time, $960,000 in the Parkland Development Fund (park in- lieu-fees) becomes available for reallocation to other appropriate and eligible park improvement projects. ALTERNATIVE Council could proceed with the installation of synthetic turf at Stockton Field. Given the recommendations of the Athletic Fields Needs Assessment, staff does not recommend pursuing synthetic turf at this time. If the current rehabilitation plan for Damon-Garcia fails, consideration should first be given to the installation of synthetic turf at Daryl Damon Field, rather than at any of the City's baseball diamonds. ATTACHMENTS 1. Executive Summary 2. Minutes from the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Joint Use Committee and the Youth Sports Association AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW IN THE COUNCIL OFFICE Full Athletic Fields Needs Assessment ATTACHMENT f Executive Summary Athletic Fields Needs Assessment for The City of San Luis Obispo Prepared by Wendy George George-Cyr, LLP August 26, 2008 In 2005, City staff proposed to the San Luis Obispo City Council that it consider the feasibility of converting existing athletic fields to synthetic turf as a strategy for maximizing their use. It also directed staff to include a capital improvement request to convert Stockton Field, a baseball diamond located in Sinsheimer Park, to synthetic turf as part of the 2007-09 Financial Plan. Upon later consideration of this request, the Council determined that synthetic turf might not be as cost-effective as initially believed, and requested further study on the subject. In commencing this additional study, staff realized that in addition to further addressing the pros and cons of synthetic turf, they also needed to consider other better uses for limited available funding. Therefore, in February 2008, staff received approval from the Council to hire a consultant to conduct a needs assessment of athletic field user groups and offer recommendations for meeting those needs. Accordingly, the primary objective of the consultant's report is to address the following issues: a. Identification of youth and adult sports organizations using diamond and turf fields in the City of San Luis Obispo b. Identification of athletic fields being used by these organizations c. Identification of field use schedules d. Assessment of user needs as determined by personal interviews with group representatives e. Exploration of strategies for addressing those needs, including public/private partnerships with other organizations within the community f. Review of possible new field development in future City expansion areas g. Evaluation of current Damon-Garcia sports fields use h. Recommendation of best practices for Damon-Garcia field use and determination of their optimal level of use i. Consideration of the pros and cons of artificial turf placement on City athletic fields j. Development of a prioritized list of strategies to meet users' needs and maximize field use ATACH;MEvT Identification of Field Users and Existing Playing Fields The consultant's first step was to identify the turf field and diamond field organizations to be assessed and create an assessment tool. She then determined the local athletic fields that are used to support the programs offered by these organizations. In addition to City-owned fields, as a result of joint-use agreements with outside agencies, these programs also utilize fields belonging to San Luis Coastal Unified School District and the County of San Luis Obispo. Additionally, they sometimes use fields at Cuesta College, Laureate School and Talley Farms as overflow locations when regular fields are unavailable due to scheduling conflicts or the weather. All of the field owners schedule playing time on their own fields, and this practice sometimes leads to problems when turf sports are assigned to fields that have traditionally been used by diamond sports. Needs Assessments Each sports program interviewed was asked to identify its highest priority need, and rank it on a scale from 1-10, with 10 representing the most severe need. Spokespersons also discussed other lower priority concerns, and were asked to provide suggestions on how to meet their program's needs. Generally, the greatest number of concerns came from the turf field users, with more access to the Damon-Garcia Sports Fields being the most consistent need. There were fewer concerns expressed by the diamond sport programs. The following charts reflect the highest priority needs of the programs, broken down by turf field users and diamond field users. SUMMARY OF TURF USER NEEDS Ages . . Organization Served Players Highest Need Severity AYSO Soccer Youth 1,250 More access to D-G fields for growth 5 Central Coast Soccer Adult 250 More access to D-G fields; condition of fields 6 Central Coast Women's Soccer Adult 150-180 More access to D-G fields 4-5 Coast Soccer Club Youth 40 No unmet needs n/a Flag Football Youth 200 Unexpected field closures 4 Mores ace for futuregrowth; 4-5 Old Dos Soccer Academy Youth/ 50 More access to D-G fields 8 Adult Location for adultpick-up soccer 9 Premier Affiliated Soccer Org. Adult 1,000 More field access for games and tournaments 7 SLO Rugby Adult 60 Permanent practice location with lights 3-4 SLO Ruabv Football Club Adult/ 1200 lPermanent practice location with lights 9 Youth SLO Soccer Club Youth 200 More field access for games and tournaments 7 SLO Womens Soccer Adult 140 Timely net.set-up for games 5-6 SLO Youth Football Youth 120-150 Lack of bleachers by field. 6 SLO Youth Rugby Youth 65 More access to D-G fields, esp in winter and after rain 116 Figure 1 / ii g & ATTACHMENT SUMMARY OF DIAMOND USER NEEDS Ages . . Organization Served Players Highest Need Severity Cal Poly Baseball Camp Youth 60 No unmet needs N/A Cal Ri kenBabe Ruth Baseball Youth 500 Conflicted scheduling with turfsports 8-9 Central Coast Mens Baseball Adult 150 Access to SLO stadium in summer 10 Co-ed Adult Softball Adult 800 Making EI Chorro fields safer; 5 Rain makes Santa Rosa field unusable Cuesta College Baseball Adult 1250 No unmet needs N/A Girls Softball Association Youth 110 Conflicted scheduling with turfsports 4 Hancock College Baseball Adult No unmet needs N/A Mission Prep Girls Softball Youth Drainage at Santa Rosa softball field 7 SLO Blues Adult 30 Easier access to stadium for business purposes 12 SLO High Varsity Baseball Youth I INo unmet needs N/A SLO Rattlers Adult 35 Inability to use concessions and BBQ area ball, Coach/Pitch YMCA Youth 1200 INo unmet needs N/A Figure 2 Strategies for Addressing Identified Needs The consultant's next step was to consider strategies for addressing the needs identified by the sports field users. The first strategy explored was the possibility of developing new partnerships with other public agencies or private entities. Discussions with administrators at San Luis Coastal Unified School District led to the conclusion that the school district is unlikely to be receptive of any new partnerships with the City that involve financial commitments from the District, including the installation by the City of artificial turf or lights at any District owned fields. On the other hand, administrators at Cuesta College were more receptive to the concept of exchanging additional use of the college's fields for the installation of lighting by the City. However, it should be noted that Cuesta College's field maintenance staff was less enthusiastic about this idea, because of potential damage to fields caused by additional use. The County of San Luis Obispo was willing to entertain the use of Cuesta Park's field for youth soccer, if the City would pay for removing trees recently planted there, upgrading the field, and policing the area to prevent its abuse by Cal Poly students. Mission School was also amenable to making its turf field available to the City for overflow soccer play and might consider allowing the City's men's baseball team to use its baseball diamond. The Laureate School was very interested in some sort of partnership with the City for use of one or both of its fields, but asked that in exchange it receive access to City water. Since the school is currently located in the County, this request is not viable at this time. Cal Poly indicated a willingness to discuss AfTQiMENT___L_ possible use of its newly converted synthetic turf fields by the City, but only after enough time has passed for it to determine the full extent of its own needs. The owner of Talley Farms said he would continue to allow some programs to play on their fields on an overflow basis, but wider use would require permitting from the County and could create neighborhood problems for the business. The next strategy considered was the possibility of joining existing partnerships to create new athletic fields. Discussions were held with volunteers working to build a baseball facility at the Chevron Fields on Tank Farm Road and volunteers hoping to renovate San Luis Obispo High School's Holt Field. Currently, neither of these projects appears likely to be successfully completed, but City staff should continue to monitor their progress. Proposed fields in the Margarita and Orcutt expansion areas were also examined for their appropriateness for use as scheduled game or practice fields for turf sports. Due to constraints of their location or size, these fields would be most appropriate only for pick-up soccer, rugby or football games. Some of the difficulty in teams having enough access to the Damon-Garcia Sports Fields is the result of current scheduling practices. A number of changes can be made to these practices with minimal cost to the City, such as scheduling fields jointly with the School District, holding scheduling meetings in the evenings when more field users can attend, following adopted priority policies closely, ensuring sports playing within their traditional annual seasons have first priority over others (e.g. baseball or softball would have priority over soccer in the spring), developing better coordination and communication between the Parks and Recreation and Public Works Departments over rain closures, the addition of a field closure hotline for user groups, excluding all non-sports events from the Damon-Garcia Fields and assigning certain fields for pick-up play on a rotating basis. Evaluation of Damon-Garcia Sports Fields When the Damon-Garcia Sports Fields were opened, they fulfilled a long-awaited demand for quality turf sports playing fields in the City. Although the fields were intended only for actual games and tournaments, the initial level of use was extremely high, as they were also used for pick-up games, scrimmages and non- sporting events. As a result, Field B and most of Field A were badly damaged before play on them was halted. Additionally, the mixture of grass installed during construction did not perform as expected. After initial conflict as to the best way to repair the fields, the Parks and Recreation Department agreed to the Public Works Department's proposal to rehabilitate the existing turf, rather than replacing it with hybrid Bermuda grass. The fields are currently undergoing rehabilitation, and only after completion of the winter sports season Will it be possible to determine whether this approach has been successful. iv �' U ATTACHMENT Best Practices for Damon-Garcia Fields The City's Public Works Department is currently working with a consultant from the Wilbur-Ellis Company to improve the Damon-Garcia turf. However, even if this rehabilitation program is successful, City staff must insure that a limit is placed on the amount of time the fields can be used. The generally accepted belief, based on research from outside sources, is that cool season grass fields with sand based profiles can tolerate approximately 360 to 390 hours field use, factored by the type of sport, per year; cool season grass fields with native soils can tolerate approximately 425 hours; and warm season grass fields grown in moderate climates such as Northern California and supported with reinforced sand profiles may tolerate up to 500 hours of use. The Damon-Garcia fields fall into the first category. Based on totals provided by Parks and Recreation Department staff, the average unfactored total use on each Damon-Garcia field in 2006 and 2007 was about 865 hours. While continuing with the current rehabilitation plan, City staff should also consider several other changes that could help meet users' needs. One is to change the time for annual field maintenance on the Damon-Garcia fields to later in the spring, rather than in December, so that there is less impact on soccer season. Another is to move the internal light pole by the lower fields, so that the fields can be realigned on a regular basis to avoid wear spots. The Pros and Cons of Installing Synthetic Turf Many public agencies and school districts have turned to synthetic turf as a way of increasing the time of play on their existing fields. Synthetic turf has come a long way as a quality playing surface from the days of the original Astroturf. It allows for all-weather field availability, increased playing hours up to 58 per week and reduced maintenance and watering costs. However, installation is expensive. New synthetic fields can cost three times as much as grass fields. Resurfacing existing fields costs between $400,000 and $600,000. In hot climates, synthetic fields can be 60-degrees hotter than grass fields. There is also concern about the potential toxic content of the field material and its underlying cushioning, which has led to pending legislation in the California State Senate. While there is significant water savings by using synthetic turf, the fields are not maintenance free. They need to be disinfected regularly, washed to removed dust and foreign particles like sunflower seeds, and "fluffed" monthly to lift the fibers. Finally, the current life of a synthetic field is 10 to 12 years, at which time they must be replaced. The replacement cost is estimated to be about half of the initial installation cost, plus a fee for recycling the old material of $40,000 to $50,000. At this time, the consultant is not recommending installing synthetic turf at any City playing fields. The most consistent need expressed by the turf sport players is for more access to the Damon-Garcia fields for games, tournaments and V d-_ 9 - ATTACHMENT scrimmages. Installing synthetic turf in baseball or softball diamonds in order to make them available to turf sports would only provide additional practice fields, and lack of practice fields is not the problem. If the current rehabilitation program for the Damon-Garcia is not successful, then the City should consider installing synthetic turf on Daryl Damon field to increase its availability to teams. While installing synthetic turf on the lower fields would actually be a better choice, considering the poorer quality of these fields, they lie in a flood prone area and cannot be covered with a non-porous surface. Conclusion After meeting with both turf and diamond sports field users of City-owned and neighboring fields, exploring new partnership possibilities with other agencies, examining best practices that would help improve the natural turf at the Damon- Garcia Sports Fields and considering the pros and cons of synthetic turf, the consultant provided a set of recommendations broken down into three categories: Highest Priority Recommendations to be Implements as Soon as Possible; Lower Priority Recommendations for Future Consideration; and Actions Not Recommended at this Time. Those recommendations are found in Exhibit 1 to this Executive Summary. Vi a �v ATTACHMENT- Exhibit 1 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS A. Highest Priority Recommendations, to be Implemented as Soon as Possible 4. RECOMMENDATION: Set up quarterly joint use meetings with the County of San Luis Obispo relating to the softball fields at Rancho EI Chorro Regional Park 5. RECOMMENDATION: Pursue a joint use agreement with Mission School for use of its baseball diamond for Babe Ruth teams and for overflow use of the turf field when Damon-Garcia fields have unanticipated closures. 12. RECOMMENDATION: Rigorously apply the City's current policies on field sign-up priorities and make sure the policies are distributed to and understood by all field users. 13. RECOMMENDATION: Include staff from San Luis Coastal Unified School District in a joint semi-annual scheduling process that eliminates the District's practice of scheduling fields on a first come, first served basis. 14. RECOMMENDATION: Hold semi-annual scheduling meetings in the evenings when working adults are better able to attend them. Be sure that all users know the time and date of the meetings, as well as what information needs to be provided in requests and when it should be provided. 15. RECOMMENDATION: Work with the school district to develop a policy that provides for sports playing within their traditional annual seasons to have priority over others, e.g. baseball or softball would have priority over soccer in the spring. Do not allow one program to reserve fields for a full year at a time. Do not allow turf sports to use basebalUsoftball diamonds unless they are not needed by traditional users. 16. RECOMMENDATION: Parks and Recreation Staff should work more closely with Public Works staff to insure better coordination on field- closures for maintenance and rain and to assure that appropriate standards of wear are being used for each field that is scheduled. Vii a -1( ATTACHMENT 17. RECOMMENDATION: Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff should work together to establish a rain closure hotline that provides up-to-date field closure information to users. 18. RECOMMENDATION: Continue to reserve the Damon-Garcia Sports Fields for athletic games and tournaments only, excluding practices and pick-up games. Additionally, exclude all non-sport events such as festivals or shows. 19. RECOMMENDATION: Work with San Luis Coastal School District to assure availability of Taylor field to adult rugby. 20. RECOMMENDATION: Work with the County of San Luis Obispo to create one-stop scheduling of the El Chorro softball fields and payment for use of the lights 21. RECOMMENDATION: Determine those fields that are appropriate for pick-up play and assign their use on a rotating basis, either by month or day of the week Post that information at the fields and make it available to users in other ways as well, perhaps through a recorded hotline message. 22. RECOMMENDATION: Consider requiring soccer teams using the Damon-Garcia Sports Fields to provide and set up their own goal cages. 23. RECOMMENDATION: Develop a collaborative approach with the San Luis Obispo Blues and Rattlers to fund the following improvements to the stadium: • Rebuild the press box • Bring the concession stand and barbecue area up to health codes • Improve the dugout stairs on the left side of the stadium field • Improve the backstop area of the stadium • Provide on-site internet connection 26. RECOMMENDATION: Advise the SLO Youth Football program to present the need for portable bleachers to the Joint Use Committee for possible financial assistance from a facility enhancement grant. 27. RECOMMENDATION: Parks and Recreation and Public Works staff should assess the possibility of closing the Damon-Garcia fields for maintenance starting in March of each year, rather than in December. Viii a,, � ATACNMENT B. Lower Priority Recommendations for Future Consideration 2. RECOMMENDATION. Meet with Ed Maduli, Vice President of Administrative Services to discuss the possibility of lighting the Cuesta College's baseball diamond and/or one or all of the turf fields. Cost of lighting the diamond is in the range of $500,000 - $700,000. Cost of lighting the fields would depend on the number of fields lit and could cost about$100,000 for installation and$28,000 per fixture. 7. RECOMMENDATION. Pursue further discussion with Cal Poly University about using their synthetic turf fields after the fields have been in place long enough for the university to have a good sense of their own internal level of use. 8. RECOMMENDATION. Continue to monitor the approval process for the Chevron Corporation property to determine the viability of the proposed baseball complex. Consider participating in the project at some future date only if it receives approval from all permitting agencies and other funding is assured. 9. RECOMMENDATION. Continue to monitor the progress of the Holt Field project Consider participation only if it receives approvals from the school district and the funding is in place to make it possible. 10. RECOMMENDATION. Consider including the multi-use field in the Margarita Area as a recommended site for pick-up turf sport games. 11. RECOMMENDATION. Consider using the multi-use field in the Orcutt Area as a recommended site for pick-up turf sports games. Schedule softball and Cal Ripken games on the diamond upon its completion. 24. RECOMMENDATION: Consider methods to address the drainage problems at the Santa Rosa softball field by using French drains or other drainage approaches similar to those being implemented at Laguna Middle School. Estimated cost is $250,000. 25. RECOMMENDATION. Investigate the possibility of creating a turf sports practice field to replace the linear park that currently runs along the fence line behind the backstop at Meadow Park 28. RECOMMENDATION: City staff should assess the possibility of moving at least one of the internal light poles to allow for greater field alignment flexibility. Such a move would necessitate finding alternative solutions to providing adequate lighting and would cost in the range of ix a- 13 ATi;CHMENT $20,000 to move the light Additional costs could be required depending on whether alternative lighting sources are required. C. Actions Not Recommended at This Time 1. RECOMMENDATION. At this point, no new partnerships with San Luis Coastal Unified School District are recommended. However, the City should continue to discuss the possibility of installing artificial turf at Taylor Field in the future, with the hope that the District might change its current thinking. 3. RECOMMENDATION. Using Cuesta Park as a turf field is not a good idea at this time due to the cost of removing trees and difficulty of keeping Cal Poly students from abusing it. However, this is a possibility that could be considered in the future if the need for turf fields continues to grow. It would be a good idea to determine the actual measurements of this field for future consideration. 6. RECOMMENDATION: Do not pursue use of Laureate School fields at this time, due to the City's policy of not providing water outside City limits. However, should changes be made to this policy, or the property be annexed to the City, jointly developing the Laureate fields could be extremely beneficial to both the City and the school. 29. RECOMMENDATON. Do not install synthetic turf at any City playing fields at this time. However, if the current rehabilitation plan for Damon- Garcia fails, and if funding becomes available at some point, the City should first consider installing synthetic turf at Daryl Damon Field, rather than at any of the baseball diamonds. x Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 2 of 7 produce and dry goods, and takes the responsibility to organize others in how to package the food for easy distribution. Ellen's commitment to this pro is what has kept it alive and going over the years. Her heart-felt passion for other's 1-being is first and foremost, and takes no credit for herself, but always directs it to others Ilen does not always feel well enough to do the things that she enjoys, but is always pres for her self-directed `responsibility' to the Food Give-Away program. Ellen volunteers for other prZofmber-At-Large the SLO Senior Center including working as a docent once a week and fulfilling the rolfor the Senior Board. She truly shines when she is able to help others anfelt by countless members of this community. Parks and Recreation is grateful to Elle the many years of service to the community of the City of San Luis Obispo. 3. Results of the Athletic Field Needs Assessment—Kiser/George Director Kiser introduced consultant Wendy George to the Commission; who then gave a presentation on the results of the Athletic Fields Needs Assessment. The assessment looked at the needs of turf users (13 organizations) and diamond sport users (12 organizations). Team representatives were interviewed by the consultant to identify highest priority needs. The consultant also identified existing playing fields, which are owned by six agencies, including City, School District, County, Cuesta, Tally Farms and Laureate Schools. The busiest fields are Damon Garcia, SLO Stadium, and Laguna Middle School. The greatest need expressed by the turf users was for additional use of Damon-Garcia fields. Other than scheduling conflicts with turf sports, the diamond users have most of their needs met. The consultant then looked at strategies for addressing identified needs, including potential partnerships with other public agencies and private entities and the development of new fields. The consultant evaluated Damon Garcia Sports Fields and best practices for maintenance of the fields. She also explored the pros and cons of installing synthetic turf and recommended against the installation of synthetic turf in the City at this time. If the current rehabilitation program for the Damon-Garcia fields is unsuccessful, the best choice for synthetic turf would be Daryl Damon field rather than Stockton or SLO Stadium. Based on the information gathered from the Needs Assessment, 29 recommendations were provided including:. Highest priority to be implemented as soon as possible. (16 recommendations) Lower priority for future consideration. (10 recommendations) Actions not recommended at this time. (4 recommendations) Commissioners then discussed: Commissioner Hatch asked if considered synthetic turf for future fields (Margarita,Orcutt). Wendy George explained Margarita can only be for pickup games due to flight path location, Orcutt not regulation size. Stockton field.teams ambivalent;better to put in synthetic turf in a regulation field. Commissioner Hensinger confirmed that Pacheco and Bishop's Peak can't be used unless we pay C .11ACHVIENT a Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 3 of 7 the School District. Wendy George added those fields are more for tournaments and games than practice fields. Further discussion on what fields would be available for practice. Director Kiser explained the Joint Use Committee provides $20,000 per year to the School District to upgrade facilities and therefore overtime will contribute to the usability of school owned fields. Commissioner May commented on the thoroughness of the report and thanked Wendy George stating the output of the report was worth ten times what it cost to produce. Commissioner Regier discussed briefly the existence of club baseball teams. He thought that they primarily interact with the School District. More information may be available from Dan Sutton. In response to the report, Commissioner Regier stated his recollection was that there was not a promise to baseball regarding the installation of synthetic turf on Stockton field, that he didn't recall a link between Damon Garcia. Director Kiser relayed that ex-Director LeSage thought Stockton was the first likely choice as it was smaller and therefore the least expensive as a test project, and could be used for youth soccer and rugby off season, with second choice being SLO Stadium and third being Damon Garcia. That was the thinking at the time. Wendy George added that at the time synthetic turf was still a new and novel product. Commissioner Regier went on to state he is a proponent for synthetic turf and supports the rationale of Damon Garcia as a first choice. He also hoped that if discussions ever came forward again with the school district that Taylor Field would be considered for synthetic turf. Chair Lemieux felt the situation benefited from taking time out to study it. Commissioner May gave background on dealing with the Damon Garcia flood zone, stating a good deal went into the initial study to see that water was allowed to flow at some speed so that no mud would accumulate on the grass, that there were some liability issues to the City that the flood plain remain the same. Commissioner Hatch relayed information gleaned from a CPRS Conference he attended regarding built in drains. Wendy George added this would involve more expense and research. Commissioner Regier brought up the issue of French drains at Santa Rosa, maybe other casual recreation can go on there. Added there was discussion of youth sports on Taylor field but never formally advocated with School District. Would be able to keep open if school ever gets more funding. Director Kiser asked Wendy George to add Taylor and Holt to the lower priority area of report. Commissioner Regier inquired more about the possibility of using Meadow Park, potential tree removal and proximity to condos and discussed with Director Kiser tennis user's request for more space and possible changes in Homeowner's Agreements. Commissioner Regier discussed looking long term and at trends of sports activities in our City and asked if there was a trend/study planned for the future. Director Kiser explained the Land Use Element recently brought before Council and that it was felt the Parks and Recreation element would slow down the process if it was included. As the Parks and Recreation Element is seven years old, may consider bringing it forward as a goal during next months goal setting as funding needs to be approved for a study. Commissioner Kincaid felt the report was done very well and had some questions about field users' 1 -3 C9-! AT ACHNIENT�_ Parks and Recreation Commission Minutes September 3, 2008 Page 4 of 7 inquiries. Chair Lemieux asked if there could be a better way of communicating what is played where and why, perhaps an online page or hotline which would also explain why an empty field does not necessarily mean an available field. Wendy George added that it would help to post rotating pick up fields. Chair Lemieux also added that she felt LaCrosse would be at Cal Poly or Cuesta first, agrees would be nice to see where SLO is shifting. 4. Selection of Recipient for the Wes Conner Award—Kiser Last month Director Kiser explained the Wes Conner Award which w created last year subsequent to Wes Conner's passing and intended to honor individuals ho, like Wes, have provided sustained valuable service that resulted in improved access t high quality parks and recreation services in the City of San Luis Obispo. At thattime the riteria established for the award was reviewed. The Commissioners had the option to keep r eliminate the biographies accumulated already. Chair Lemieux then opened up discussion and review of the n nations for the award, asking if anyone had strong feelings one way or the other. It was gene r ly felt that any of the choices would be good choices and illustrated arguments for both sides. Although some of the Commissioners were too new to a entirely familiar with the nominees, it was felt that all were good candidates and after some 'scussion made their decision with the caviat that Richard Kriet be recognized as being at the top f the list as well and highly recommended for next year. MOTION: (Regier/Kincaid) Nominate John Rossetti as this year's r ipient of the annual Wes Conner Award to be honored at the Annual Volunteer Recognition Q on September 25, 2008. Approved: 6 yes: 0 no: 1 absent avas) 5. Goal Setting Instructio —Kiser Director Kiser reviewed t e goal setting instructions in preparation for the 2009-2011 Financial Plan and gave out hando is in correlation with a PowerPoint presentation created by the Director of Finance and Intern Technology, Bill Statler. Director Kiser explained the budget process links goals and reso es and what we want to accomplish with our community over the next two years. The process dentifies highest priorities and reasonable timeframes. Council goal setting workshop is Jan 31, 2009. The Senior Center and Roller Hockey Rink and Open Space were part of last year' major city goals plus some of the bikeway improvements. 1 -4 " -17- J P.TTACHMENT o7 San Luis Obispo Youth Sports Association Board of Directors Meeting September 8, 2008 MINUTES Call to Order: Ex-officio Board Member Betsy Kiser called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m., Parks and Recreation Conference Room. Roll Call: Present were Jeff Whitener, Rich Ogden, Betsy Kiser, Bill Harvey, Todd Cooper, Wendy George &Brian Greenwood. Welcome and Introductions: Self-introductions were made. Dr. Brian Greenwood gave insight into the program he is developing at Cal Poly to help with youth sports activities. New Business: Athletic Field Needs Assessment: Wendy George gave an in-depth overview of the assessment report that she prepared at the City's request. She answered question from those in attendance. A summary will be emailed to all YSA group members. The board felt that the assessment is comprehensive, addresses the issues and is well-done. Suggested that the YSA partners could and should be used to help maintain the DG fields, especially financially. Parks and Recreation Commission: Betsy Kiser informed the group that the City Parks and Recreation Commission is meeting on October 1, 2008. The goal of the Commission meeting is to take public input to assist in preparing the City's two year budget. The meeting will be held at the City Council Hearing Room at 7:00 pm on October 1st. User groups need to make the Commission aware of their needs and who they serve. ADJOURN The meeting was adjourned at 6:40 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for November 15, 2008. Respectfully submitted, Todd Cooper Board Secretary AIIACHMENT a Advisory Committee on Joint Use of Recreational Property DRAFT MINUTES City/County Library Conference Room 995 Palm Street Tuesday, September 23, 2008 12:00 p.m. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Michael Parolini called the meeting to order at 12:01 p.m. ROLL CALL: Committee Members Terry Conner, Rick May, Nancy Cochran, and Colin Jones ABSENT: STAFF: City of San Luis Obispo: Betsy Kiser, Director, James Bremer, Recreation Supervisor; Marti Reynolds, Supervising Admin. Asst.; and Arnie Silacci, SLCUSD Building & Grounds Supervisor 1. Public Comment None. 2. Consideration of Minutes MOTION: (Conner/Cochran) Approve the August 26, 2008 minutes as submitted. Approved 5 yes:0 no: 0 absent 3. Athletic Field Needs Assessment Director Kiser presented a PowerPoint report on the results of the Athletic Field Needs Assessment explaining the background first. The Director went over Wendy George's report explaining how she interviewed the needs of users, explored new partnerships, illuminated best practices for Damon Garcia Field. Committee member Conner mentioned that SLO Rugby was mistakenly mentioned twice in the report under turf users clarifying that Youth Rugby has its own needs but is under SLO Rugby. Recreation Supervisor Bremer explained past closures of Damon Garcia and calculation of hours in a factoring system for field use that resulted in a new approach of not exceeding 40 hours per week. The 29 recommendations that came as a result of the study were discussed such as field renovation being moved to spring rather than December and a closure hotline for game G.-\ErenoneVUC�minweA2008x09.23.08 3UC Minwes Drqft.DOC ATTACHMENT a Advisory Committee on,pint Use of Recreational Property - page 2 September 23, 2008 Minutes field information. Discussed the final recommendation that, if funding became available (and rehabilitation of Damon Garcia fails) that synthetic turf only be placed at Daryl Damon Field. Reallocation of approximately $900K of park in lieu funds for 2009-2011 to other appropriate and eligible park improvement projects. [Committee Member Conner exited the meeting at 12:40 p.m.] Committee Member Parolini clarified a question on funding. Also noted the reference to "Facility Use Grant" should be "Facility Enhancement Grant." Committee Member Cochran commented further about toxicity, maintenance issues and costs involved with synthetic turf. Recreation Supervisor Bremer explained synthetic turf's positive aspect is that there is less down time because of increased percolation and draining after inclement weather, that it is not so much less maintenance as it is more opportunity for play. Also added the report was well-written and easy to read. Director Kiser noted there was a good response to the report from the Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC) and the Youth Sports Association (YSA). Noted the PRC's recommendation of adding Taylor Field along with Holt Field. Committee Member May reiterated his previous comment from PRC that he feels the study to be the best possible comprehensive report for field usages. Also commented on the school district's appointed officials remarks on field closure saying that the Holt field Committee will eventually be replacing the field in 10-years although their comments were based on a three-year window of time. They will need to raise $4 to $5 million for this replacement but feels the Joint Use Committee should know there would be benefits for the City as a result. The City would perhaps offer funding assistance for lighting and other parts of the project. As a result there will be a larger stadium in the future capable of entertaining tournaments. 4. Council Goal Setting Recreation Supervisor Bremer presented information to the Committee Members on the upcoming Council goal setting by advisory bodies and reviewed goals from the past two budget cycles. Bremer explained there are no set criteria or number limits to the goals although five to seven is typical. Possible goals for 2009-2011 were considered with final goals to be voted upon at the October 28 meeting. At that time goals from the PRC will be available to review and possibly incorporate. In the meantime, Committee Members discussed forwarding ideas by email to either Recreation Manager Fitzgerald or Recreation Supervisor Bremer. Bremer also mentioned the possible reduction of the Facility Enhancement Grant in light of the impacts to City funding. Committee Member May suggested item number two (from previous goals) wording be added to "carry a fixed payment to the YSA" of whatever the current amount is as part of full disclosure. Committee Member Jones felt that item number four should have wording to the effect of "support lighting at Sinsheimer" added before the sentence as well. Page 1 of 9 4 Council,SloCity From: David Broadwater[csi@thegrid.netl Sent: Mon 10/6/2008 12:31 PM To: Council, SloCity Cc: Kiser, Betsy Subject: SLO City-Astroturf Toxics RED FILE Attachments: - MEETING AGENDA SLO City Council and Parks & Recreation Department members, DAT � 1081TEM # _S;I-- Prior to deciding to install artificial turf anywhere in your City, you may want to consider the available information about Lead and other toxics in that material. The SLO City Council is scheduled to address use of artificial turf at its 10-7-08 meeting - BUSINESS ITEMS: 2. RESULTS OF THE ATHLETIC FIELDS NEEDS ASSESSMENT. Below is a sampling of five sources, including: San Francisco Chronicle, 9-3-08 Suits filed over lead in artificial turf Center for Environmental Health More Artificial Turf Found with Lead, as California Attorney General Files Lawsuits ABC NEWS, 9-24-08 Portland, Oregon School Districts Warn About Lead In Artificial urf National Geographic Society, Green Guide, 9-2-08G'�P Eh2/f'!L How lead and toxic chemicals got into our football fields. COUNCIL CDD DIR Rachel's Democracy & Health News #979, 10-2-08 PAO [ -FIN DIR Toxic Lead in Synthetic TurfCTTA�RNEY DPW p CHIEF David Broadwater LERK/ORIG Lri"POLICE CHF Atascadero EPT HEADS rREC DIR http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/489733.html la� L�UTIL DIR SLO Tribune LHR DIR 10-6-08 tzgU P&a_ Report suggests synthetic turf be used in Damon-Garcia sports complex in SLO.-�'Gr4o SLO Council mulls best place to lay synthetic turf �CtG�ZK Sally Connell - sconnell@thetribunenews.com - A special report to the City Council suggests that if artificial turf goes anywhere, it should, be on one of Damon- Garcia's four fields that serve soccer players as well as rugby and lacrosse players. ... "The original proposal was that we don't have enough fields," Parks and Recreation Director Betsy Kiser said. "It's really expensive to buy land and create fields. We needed a reasonable way to get more field time for our players, and synthetic turf is a good way to do it." ... Staff proposes even more incremental steps in its report to the council. If the natural grass restoration at Damon-Garcia is unsuccessful, Kiser said her department may come back to the council with a synthetic turf proposal of some kind for the large upper field. httD_/1www.sfqate.com/cqi-bin/­article.cqiZ f=/c/a/2008/09/03/BAK012MTOM.DTL&type=newsbayarea San Francisco Chronicle 9-3-08 Suits filed over lead in artificial turf Six artificial-turf companies are breaking state law by not warning the public of exposure to dangerous amounts of lead from the fake green grass, according to two separate lawsuits filed Tuesday by the California attorney general and an environmental group. The suits, designed to stop the sale of any new turf manufactured with lead, say the toxic metal gets on the hands and bodies of children and adults who play on synthetic grass found at athletic fields, public schools, parks, day care centers and residences. https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycouncil/Inbox/SLO%2OC ity%20-%2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 2 of 9 r . Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires warning of exposure to an unsafe level of a chemical that can cause cancer or birth defects. Lead is a carcinogen and can cause neurological damage, says the lawsuit filed in Alameda Superior Court. "The goal is to get the lead out of the California pipeline so it's not being sold in the state," said Dennis Ragen, the deputy attorney general handling the case for the state. The companies have already expressed a willingness to make turf without lead, Ragen said. The state attorney general - joined by the city attorney of Los Angeles and the district attorney of Solano County - filed against Astro Turf, the first branded distributor of synthetic grass; Beaulieu Group, which sells to Home Depot, Ace Hardware and Lowe's, and Field Turf USA, a leading manufacturer and installer of football fields. ... San Francisco's Recreation and Park Department has issued a report that recommends putting in dozens of lead-free artificial turf grass and environmentally sound base materials. ... http://www.cehca.org/index.php?option=com content&task=view&id=325&Itemid=241 Center for Environmental Health More Artificial Turf Found with Lead, as California Attorney General Files Lawsuits Testing shows high lead levels in turf from Field Turf, Tiger Turf, EcoAlliance and turf purchased from Cosco, among other companies Oakland, CA- The Center for Environmental Health (CEH) announced today that independent testing has found high levels of lead in varieties of artificial turf from ten more companies. The testing found that the lead level in one turf sample, produced by the nation's leading installer of sports fields, Field Turf, was more 150 times higher than federal child safe lead standards that will ultimately come into effect as a result recent Congressional action to ban lead in products for children. In June, CEH initiated the first legal actions under California law against fifteen other producers and retailers of artificial turf and indoor/outdoor grass carpeting. Today, the California Attorney General, the Los Angeles City Attorney and the Solano County District Attorney filed suit against three of the turf producers identified by CEH, while CEH filed suit against three other producers and notified ten other companies that their turf violates California law. "Our testing on products from dozens of companies show that artificial turf can contain high amounts of lead that can easily come off onto children's hands when they play on turf fields," said Michael Green, Executive Director of CEH. "The artificial turf industry must understand that their products need to meet our state's strict lead safety standards. We welcome action by the Attorney General and other government officials who are working to clean up this threat to California's children." CEH has commissioned independent testing to determine if lead from turf wipes off on contact. In every case, samples tested by the laboratory show that when turf contains high amounts of lead, the lead wipes off at levels that exceed California standards. Others have found similar results: testing conducted for the Oregon Statesman Journal on a high school sports field installed by Field Turf found lead levels far in excess of federal and California standards. Children playing on artificial grass can be exposed when lead from turf wipes off onto their hands (from hand-to-mouth behaviors), and young children may be more at risk since they are more likely to swallow turf material. Children can also be exposed when turf degrades in the sun and releases lead-tainted dust. In June, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) warned that "As the turf ages and weathers, lead is released in dust that could then be ingested or inhaled, and the risk for harmful exposure increases." CEH is recommending that parents and schools be sure that children wash their hands thoroughly after playing on artificial turf fields. The nonprofit is also announcing that parents, schools or others with artificial turf fields can send samples of turf for free lead testing to the nonprofit's Oakland office. In July, the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission released an assessment that claimed to find no lead threat from artificial turf, even though their testing found that lead can come off of turf at a level that is almost twenty times higher than the California standard. CPSC looked at only fourteen samples from four companies; to date, CEH has tested over 150 samples https:Hmail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycounciVInbox/SLO%2OCity%20-%2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 3 of 9 from more than two dozen companies, and has found about 30% of the samples contain high lead levels. Last month, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called the CPSC assessment "crudely cursory" and requested that the agency withdraw its report. Recent reports have found high lead levels in turf on artificial turf playing fields, but the CEH testing shows that artificial grass used by residential installers and sold to do-it-yourselfers can also be a health threat. In addition to Field Turf, the recent CEM testing found high lead levels in turf from nine other companies, including Pregra artificial grass sold at Cosco, and turf produced by Tiger Turf, EcoAlliance, Poly Lawn, Challenger Industries/ X-Grass, Lazy Lawn/Best Turf for Less, Lex Lawn/ProGreen, Turfstore and Taishan Sports. CEH also filed lawsuits today against companies the nonprofit previously notified for their lead-containing turf, including Shaw Industries, Synthetic Turf International, and Tun` Headquarters, while the Attorney General and other California officials filed suits against turf makers Field Turf, AstroTurf, and Beaulieu of America. CEH has been in discussions with AstroTurf and has welcomed the company's strong intention to clean up the problem. CEH initiated legal action against the turf companies under California's Proposition 65 law, and is calling for turf makers to reformulate their products to eliminate the lead risk to children. The turf industry has stated that it will voluntarily comply with the recent federal law banning lead in children's product. Since voluntary industry standards are unenforceable, the CEH effort intends to hold the companies to a legally binding lead standard. Earlier this summer, the California Assembly passed a bill (SB 1277) sponsored by Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) calling for state study investigating the health and environmental impacts of natural versus synthetic turf fields. , A CEH report and more information is available here.. Consumers with questions about sending samples for lead testing to CEH can call 510-655-3900. Connecticut Attorney General's statement is available here. The Oregon Statesman Journal report is available here. Information on SB 1277 is available here. CONTACT: Charles Margulis, 510-697-0615 (cell); Caroline Cox, 541-654-2626 (cell) http://www.wibf.com/jbf/news/national/article/portland oreclon school districts warn_about_lead_in_artificial_tu rf/6996/ ABC NEWS 9-24-08 Portland, Oregon School Districts Warn About Lead In Artificial Turf School districts in Portland, Oregon are warning about lead contamination on sports fields. So far, the district has shut down a school soccer field after officials worried that kids would get toxic levels of lead on their hands. ... htt_p:/Jwww.theqreenqUide.com/.t�l-pg/­s�taff�/"` 65 How lead and toxic chemicals got into our football fields. National Geographic Society Green Guide 9-2-08 Catherine Zandonella Is Synthetic Turf Safe? Yet the switch to synthetics worries some environmental health experts. Today's artificial turf is made of green-colored polyethylene/nylon or polypropylene ribbons couched in a layer of cushioning rubber particles. These black rubber crumbs are actually shredded automobile tire rubber , sometimes mixed with silica sand. Players can track the stuff indoors on their shoes, clothing, skin and hair. Some experts are concerned that children or adult players could ingest these small particles or inhale their fumes, exposing them to toxic chemicals in tire rubber, which can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs and have been linked to cancer in some cases. Tire rubber can expose https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycouncil/Inbox/S LO%2OC ity%20-%2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 4 of 9 individuals to latex, potentially predisposing more people to latex,allergies. A study by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found that recycled tire crumbs can release chemical compounds into the air and groundwater under normal warm-weather conditions. ... But that's not all. This spring, unsafe levels of lead were found in synthetic grass blades and turf dust, prompting the shutdown and removal of entire playing fields in New Jersey. Nylon and nylon/polyethylene blend fibers showed high high lead levels, whereas polyethylene-only turf tested for very low levels of lead. Furthermore, older turf fields are more likely to release lead as the grass fibers break down. The levels found were not high enough to cause neurological damage in children, according to a July report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, but the commission based its conclusion on the assumption that lead is only a concern for children's brain development in blood concentrations above 10 millionths of a gram per deciliter. However, blood lead levels less than than that can cause adverse health effects, according to recent studies. Despite these concerns, synthetic turf is gaining popularity not just among turf managers, who like it because it can withstand heavy rains and heavy use, but also among recreation managers in cities such as New York, where several parks sport too-green-to-be-true grass. The advocacy group Environment & Human Health, Inc. has called for a moratorium on installing synthetic turf on fields or playgrounds until more studies are done. ... From: peter@rachel.ora Date:October 2,2008 6:29:43 PM PDT Rachel's#979:Toxic Lead in Artificial Turf Toxic Lead in Synthetic Turf More and more, artificial turf is replacing grass on kids' ball fields and playgrounds. Now new information suggests that these synthetic playing surfaces may be contaminated with, among other things, toxic lead. From: Rachel's Democracy & Health News #979, Oct. 2, 2008 TOXIC LEAD IN SYNTHETIC TURF By William Crain* Synthetic turf playing fields are expanding at a rapid pace, but concerns about their health risks are growing as well. In recent months, the concerns have focused on the possibility that the turf contains toxic lead (Pb), which can have especially harmful effects on the cognitive functioning of children. When absorbed, lead can lower children's IQs and cause attention deficits. [1] Questions about lead have,risen with respect to both the old style AstroTurf and the ''new generation" turf. The old style turf is basically a carpet with nylon grass fibers. It lacks the springiness of the new generation turf, which typically uses polyethylene fibers and includes a rubber granule infill. Advertisers say that playing on the new turf is more like playing on natural grass. Artificial Grass Fibers in Old Style Turf The current concerns began with a routine state inspection. In the summer of 2007, the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) was investigating potential toxicants in a scrap metal yard in the city of Newark and decided to examine the adjacent, old style turf field as well. Laboratory tests revealed high levels of lead in the nylon turf fibers and in the dust resulting from the fibers' deterioration. [2] The New Jersey DHSS concluded that the lead didn't come from the scrap metal yard, but from the field itself. [3] https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycouncit/Inbox/S LO%2OCity%20-%o 2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 5 of 9 In follow up studies, the New Jersey DHSS also found high lead levels in two other old-style turf fields in the state, one in the city of Ewing and the other in the city of Hoboken. [4] The findings prompted the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue a June 18, 2008, health advisory, recommending precautions such as washing hands after playing on synthetic grass fields. [5] The New Jersey DHSS also initiated laboratory simulations to evaluate the effects of ingesting the fibers or the fiber dust. The results suggested that a significant portion of the lead in the fibers and dust is dissolved in digestive fluids. Once dissolved, some of the lead might enter the blood and affect the central nervous system. [6] The Synthetic Turf Council, which represents the synthetic turf industry, questioned the actual risk, but the findings were worrisome. [7] Fibers in New Generation Turf When the New Jersey findings were reported in the press, I was a consultant to a task force considering the installation of synthetic turf in Battery Park City in Manhattan. Some of the task force members had read about the New Jersey findings, but they weren't concerned. Their fields would be the new generation turf, which tends to use polyethylene grass fibers -- not nylon -- and the New Jersey DHSS hadn't found high levels of lead in the polyethylene fibers it tested. [4] Subsequently, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) detected moderate concentrations of lead in a small number of samples of new generation turf fibers. These results pertained to green fibers, which are the most prevalent in synthetic turf products. But manufacturers use various colors to mark field boundaries, and the CPSC found extremely high concentrations of lead in yellow fibers. Guive Mirfendereski, who operates the website Sy_nTurf_org, also had fibers tested and obtained similar results. [8] It is likely that the lead in the fibers primarily comes from the pigments. Nevertheless, the CPSC also evaluated the risk of ingesting the lead in the fibers and gave the fields a clean bill of health. Specifically, the CPSC concluded that hand contact with the fibers, followed by hand-to-mouth contact, was unlikely to pose a danger. On July 30, 2008, it issued a press release titled, "CPSC Staff Finds Synthetic Turf Fields OK to install, OK to play on." [9] As Consumer Reports recently observed, the CPSC's conclusion is premature. [10] For one thing, the CPSC didn't consider alternative. exposure routes such as direct swallowing or dust inhalation. In addition, the CPSC often relied on speculation instead of collecting relevant data. For example, it didn't gather data on the fraction of lead in polyethylene fibers that is dissolved in the digestive tract and might enter the blood. Finally, the CPSC used safety standards that are probably too lax. https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycounciYlnbox/SLO%2OCity%20-%2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 6 of 9 The question of safety standards is particularly vexing. Growing research indicates that even low levels of lead can cause neurocognitive damage in children. [11] It appears that no level of lead can be considered "safe" in children's blood. But public health agencies such as the CPSC and CDC have not adjusted their safety standard in light of this finding. (For a fascinating account of the CDC's refusal to adjust its standards, see. Peter Montague's article in the July_26, 2007 issue of Rachel's Democracy and Health News (#917).) In September, 2008, the California attorney general joined legal actions by the Center for Environmental Health (Oakland, Calif) against several synthetic turf companies. The plaintiffs have argued that their test results reveal high lead levels in some turf fields, although they haven't made details of their results public. [12] Rubber Granules in New Generation Turf Most brands of synthetic turf include tons of tiny (0.5 to 3 mm) rubber granules that lie between the artificial grass fibers. The rubber granules, which are usually made.from scrap tires, contribute to the spring one feels when running on the turf: This springiness is very popular, but the rubber granules, like the artificial grass fibers, might also contain lead and other toxic chemicals that can be absorbed into the body through exposure routes such as ingestion. When considering ingestion -- whether it's the ingestion of fibers or rubber granules -- I worry most about the infants and toddlers who play on the turf while their caretakers watch the games from the sidelines. Children this age are of special concern because they try to put almost everything they can pick up into their mouths. And while they might pick up some of the fibers that come loose as a field ages, the possibility of picking up rubber granules is greater. As soon as a new field is ready for play, the granules are loose and abundant. What's more, the granules stick to athletes' clothes and get into their shoes, often spilling onto the floor when they take off their shoes at home. So infants and toddlers are exposed to the granules when they play on the floor at home, too. Several research groups, including the Rochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides and Jim Zhang's team at Rutgers University, have gained information on the concentrations of lead in the rubber granules. The results have,been very consistent; concentrations seem to range from about 3 to 67 mg/kg [milligrams per kilogram] lead. [13-16] Although these values are below the conventional 400 mg/kg safety standard for humans in residential environments, we should bear in mind that even low concentrations of lead can cause neurocognitive damage in children. Bioaccessibility A key question at this point is, if new generation fibers or rubber granules are ingested, what fraction of the lead in them is https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/sloc itycouncil/Inbox/S LO%2OCity%20-%2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 7 of 9 bioaccessible? That is, what fraction of the lead dissolves in human digestive fluids, making it available for transport out of the digestive tract into to the blood and the rest of the body? A recent small-scale study by Jim Zhang, I-K Han, Lin Zhang and W. Crain [16] simulated digestive tract absorption of lead in a sample of polyethylene fibers. Mimicking the digestive process, the study examined absorption in synthetic saliva, synthetic gastric (stomach) fluid, and synthetic intestinal fluid, in that order. No lead dissolved in the saliva, but 34.6% and 54.0% of the lead dissolved in the gastric and intestinal fluids, respectively. These are sizeable. fractions. If replicated, the results suggest that ingestion of fiber material can have significant consequences. The study also examined the bioacessibility of lead in rubber granules. In the two samples tested, 24.7% and 44.2% of the lead dissolved in synthetic gastric fluids. The researchers didn't find additional dissolution of lead in synthetic intestinal fluids, but the fractions in the gastric fluids are substantial. Summary After high levels of lead were detected in an old synthetic turf field in Newark, New Jersey, further research suggested that high levels of lead were present in other old style artificial turf fields. Researchers have sometimes found lead in new generation turf fibers as well. These concentrations have been extremely high in yellow fibers that mark field boundaries, but lead has sometimes showed up in the more common green fibers, too. In addition, low-to-moderate levels of lead have consistently been detected in the new generation turfs rubber granules. Because even low levels of lead can harm children's neurocognitive development, it's important to know the lead's bioaccessibility -- the fractions of lead in turf materials that can be dissolved in digestive fluids. Initial studies suggest that the lead in the old style turf fibers, as well as the lead in the new generation turf fibers and rubber granules, does dissolve in synthetic digestive fluids. The results suggest that researchers take a closer look at the possibility that children and athletes might ingest synthetic turf materials and that the lead in the materials is absorbed in the digestive tract and enters the blood. -------------- -------------- * William Crain is a professor of psychology at The City College of New York. Billcrain@)aol.com Through earlier articles in Rachel's Democracy & Health News (#873 & #902) Dr. Crain was among the first to alert the U.S public to possible toxicants in synthetic turf. References [1] Landrigan, P. J. Environmental Threats to Children's Health in America's Schools: The Case for Prevention. Testimony to the https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycounciUlnbox/SLO%20City%20-%20AstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 8 of 9 Committee on Environment and Public Works, United States Senate, Oct. 1, 2002. [2] New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Updated Lead and Artificial Turf Fact Sheet, August 20D8. [3] New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. New Jersey I_nve_stigation of Artificial Turf and Huma_n_Health_C .ncerns,.,.April 2008. [4] New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. DHSS Calls for Federal Action on Potential Lead Health Hazard Posed by Artificial Tun`, April 14, 2008. http://www.state.nj.us/cqi-bin/dhss/njnewsi ine/view article.pl?id=3174 [5] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Health Advisory: Potential Exposure to Lead in Artificial Turf: Public Health Issues, Actions, and Recommendations, June 18, 2008. http://www.cdc.gov/n ceh lead/artificialturf.htm [6] NBC. N.J. Agency Releases Toxic-Turf Report, June 3, 2008. _ht tp:/Jwww.nbc10.com health/16477245/detail.html [7] Synthetic Turf Council. Safety of Synthetic Turf Validated by NJ Test Results, June 5, 2008. www_synthetictu._rfcouncil_org [8] Mirfendereski, G. Turf Fibers from Five Venues in Boston Area Contained Excessive Amounts of Lead.. SynTurf.org, Lead, No: 16, September, 2008. [9] U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC Staff Finds Synthetic Turf Fields OK to Install, OK to Play on, July 30, 2008. ht tp /Jwww.cpsc_go___scpub/prem -prhtro--- 8348.ht_ml [10] Federal Agencies at Odds over Artificial Turf Recommendations, Consumer Reports.org September 5, 2008. http_jj logs.consumerre.p orts.org/safety/2008/­09/­lead-in-turf.html [11] Canfield, R.L., Henderson, C.R., Cory-Slechta, D.A., Cox, C.,Jusko, T.A., and Lanphear, B.P. Intellectual Impairment in Children with Blood Lead concentrations Below 10 Micrograms per Deciliter. New Eland Journal of Medicine,_348,_2003,_pp.1417_1526. [12] Center for Environmental Health. More Artificial Turf Found with Lead, as California Attorneyfiles lawsuits,,-Sept.-.2, 2008. [13] Plesser, T. S. W., and 0. J. Lund. Potential Health and Environmental Effects Linked to Artificial Turf Systems -- Final Report. Norwegian Building Research.Institute._(report to_the Norwegian Football Association), _2004. [14] Rochesterians Against the Misuse of Pesticides. Synthetic Turf Chemicals, 2007. hnps://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycounciVInbox/SLO%2OC ity%20-%2OAstroTurf%... 10/6/2008 Page 9 of 9 [15] The City of New York, Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Report: Lead Hazard Risk Assessment of Synthetic Turf Playing Fields, April 15, 2008. [16] Zhang, J., I-K Han, L. Zhang, and W. Crain, Hazardous Chemicals in Synthetic Turf Materials and their Bioaccessibility in Digestive Fluids. Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, Vol. 18, No. 6, November/December 2008. Published_by the_joum_al online Au_gust_27,_2008. https://mail.slocity.org/exchange/slocitycouncil/Inbox/SLO%20City%20-%20AstroTurf%... 10/6/2008