The Dartmouth College athletic department is in the planning stages of a proposed resurfacing of Scully-Fahey Field.
Administrators in the DCAD said that they had not finalized the details of the project as of yet, but they were optimistic that they would have a definite plan in place in the next one to two months.
"I think we're in the home stretch on this. We're pushing hard to get all the right people on this," said Brian Austin, senior associate director of athletics for intercollegiate sports.
Cynthia Crutchfield, director of operations and facilities for athletics and recreation, emphasized that the DCAD has made no definite decisions with regard to the project.
"The bottom line is we're in discussion now. We need a decision soon to get work starting this summer," she said. "We'll be happy when we move past the fact-finding stage and get to action."
Currently, Scully-Fahey is outfitted with an artificial surface called AstroTurf 12 that was installed in October 1999.
The surface looks more like a carpet than a grass field, and balls have a tendency to roll faster and farther on the turf than on a natural grass surface. This is an optimal surface for field hockey, since a grass surface would make it difficult for the ball to move.
Presently the DCAD has not decided what type of artificial turf will replace the AstroTurf 12.
"We're looking at all the options," Crutchfield said.
One option is a filled turf field, which uses artificial blades that look and feel like real grass that are inserted into a foundation of small rubber pellets. This turf system was installed at Memorial Field before the fall 2006 football season.
Three varsity teams -- men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse and field hockey -- use Scully-Fahey full-time for practice and home games during their respective seasons. However, other varsity teams, such as football and soccer, and club teams like ultimate frisbee, have utilized the turf at times.
During games at Scully-Fahey, specifically field hockey, the maintenance staff uses large hoses to moisturize the turf. According to Crutchfield, the water helps to make the ball bounce less and provide a smoother track. She added that it is common practice for field hockey programs using AstroTurf 12 to water their fields.
Austin said that artificial turf fields have limited life spans, and that the surface at Scully-Fahey is only viable for an eight- to 12-year span.
"The turf has a certain life span, so you expect you going to replace it at some point," he said.
"It has definitely served its purpose," Crutchfield said. It's been good to us."
Austin conceded that while Scully-Fahey is at the "earlier end" of its life span, the field is already experiencing issues due to ongoing wear and tear. He explained that parts of the surface are harder than they should be, and several spots on the turf are buckling.
Additionally, the field must endure the abuse of the Northeast's weather, and plowing snow from the field shortens its lifespan.
The resurfacing of Scully-Fahey has been a topic of discussion for the DCAD for several years. Neither Austin nor Crutchfield could point to a specific date for when the DCAD decided to replace the field.
"We've got a whole list of general maintenance projects to do. When you have the funding for it, you do it," Austin said. "This didn't come out of the blue."
Money for the resurfacing project will come from institutional funding that includes a general maintenance budget managed from outside the DCAD.
Austin said that the new turf at Scully-Fahey was just one item on a short list of projects for the DCAD. Other items on the list include improvements to the basketball facility and Thompson Arena.
One of the concerns surrounding the proposed resurfacing project is the disruption it may cause to varsity teams, specifically field hockey.
In an article in The Dartmouth documenting the field hockey team's new recruiting class ("Field hockey reloads after year marked by attrition," Feb. 1), head coach Amy Fowler expressed concern that a filled turf field would force the team to play its home games outside of Hanover.
"I don't know what [the administration] will decide on, but they have that in their minds about what would be a backup option. Best-case scenario is that there is another non-filled surface on campus that we could play on. Indoor, outdoor, whatever," she said.
In that article, Austin initially remarked that the administration was conscious of the problems different turf options could pose.
"There are all kinds of possibilities ... Some options would serve all of the programs better than others. We're trying to find out what is feasible," he said.
On Tuesday, Austin said that the women's lacrosse team's run to the national championship game in the 2006 season was not a factor in the plans for changing the turf.
Recently, the DCAD also said it would like to start the project in the early part of the summer, when the varsity lacrosse seasons end, and finish resurfacing by the beginning of field hockey's preseason in mid-August.
"We're taking it step by step and moving forward as quickly as we can. We don't want to interfere with any varsity seasons, that is certainly the goal," Austin said.
Crutchfield said that the varsity coaches whose teams regularly use Scully-Fahey have all been involved in the process of looking at turf options for the field.
No specific dates, costs or bids have been finalized at this time. Clark Companies in Delhi, N.Y., worked on the Memorial Field turf installation during the past summer, but Crutchfield said it was too early to award a bid for the project.
