Organic Turf Makes East Coast Debut in Pleasantville
“It doesn’t really smell like coconuts,” said Heath Steelman, a project manager for Global Turf. “It smells like dirt.”
Steelman was talking about a new type of eco-friendly turf field surface being installed for the first time on the east coast of the United States, on the Pleasantville School District’s practice fields. The surface is made from ground coconut shells and cork as opposed to rubber used in most synthetic fields.
“I think they have some in California and the west coast, but this is the first place on the east,” Steelman said. “It has more of a real feel to it, as opposed to the rubber, which is a little more spongy. This is more like natural turf.”
Crews spent two weeks installing the fields, which will be ready for the first day of school this week. The turf is expected to last as long as a regular synthetic field, he said.
“If you’ve ever cracked a coconut you’ve seen how tough it is, and this stuff is about the same,” he said.
The turf must be occasionally watered to keep it moist in order to prevent it from disintegrating and having the materials blow away, Steelman said. Between the turf and the gravel below it is a recycled foam-like pad to aid in shock protection.
The practice and playing fields being upgraded are used by the school’s lacrosse, field hockey and soccer teams.
Assistant Superintendent for Business David Quattrocchi said the decision to use the new environmentally-friendly surface was made after getting community input.
“It was really a community effort,” he said.
The field renovation was funded through a $3.5 million bond that was approved last year, Quattrocchi said. That funding is also going toward resurfacing the district’s rubberized track and installing new bleachers.
“We removed the rubber down to the blacktop level and resurfaced the track,” Quattrocci said. “It’s all state-of-the-art now.”
Repairs are also being made to the middle school roof and ceiling, which includes asbestos removal, and blacktop repair at Bedford Road School.
Superintendent Mary Fox-Alter and board of education members thanked Quattrocchi and Director of Facilities Steve Chamberlain and his staff with getting the project done on time at the Aug. 25 board meeting. They agreed the new turf and track will require care and plenty of oversight to make sure it is not abused by the community. Security cameras are installed at the fields, they pointed out.
“A person said, ‘I’m a taxpayer, I can ride my bike on this,” said board Vice President Angela Vella. “Wrong. You’re a taxpayer. Protect your asset, get your bikes off the field. Get your dogs off the fields. We all have to protect our property – your property.”
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