The Sandy Springs City Council has agreed to pay $680,187 to put synthetic turf on the five infields at the Morgan Falls Athletic Complex.
The council approved a contract with ASG/Shaw Sports Turf, which submitted the lower of two bids to replace the grass and dirt currently in place.
Artificial turf “will better guarantee youth baseball and softball more practice and game time through (the) fall and spring schedules,” as even light rains can saturate natural grass fields and render them unplayable, staff said in a report to the council.
The project was budgeted at $600,000, and $10,800 already has been spent on a topographic survey and geotechnical evaluation, staff said. The council agreed to provide supplemental funding of $100,000 from the capital contingency account to cover the shortfall.
Sandy Springs Youth Sports, the city’s non-profit partner in youth baseball and softball, helped the city research turf products, staff said. The synthetic turf comes with one year of maintenance and an eight-year product warranty.
About the Author
