On Tybee Island, where residents are constantly grappling with the demands of tourism on their quality of life, Jaycee Park is an oasis. Tybeeans meander through the trees along the park’s walking path. They throw frisbees in a spirited game of disc golf. Children play soccer and baseball for fun and competition.
The landscape is patchy and potholed, but Jaycee Park is the local's park.
City officials on Monday proposed plans to address renovations to the park, part., locals, in quintessential Tybee fashion, picked up their pens and flocked to the podium. Throughout the two-hour forum, Tybeeans split along one key difference: keep the park's natural grass or replace it with artificial turf.
Jaycee Park, located on the island's north end in the Historic Fort Screven District, has been in need of renovations for years, but the potential of remedying the park’s soccer and baseball fields with artificial turf drew ire. Residents raised environmental concerns and criticized the multimillion-dollar price tag as exorbitant.
However, city officials and the recreation department (which is run by the Tybee Island YMCA) informed residents that, while natural turf may be the least expensive and more desirable option for preserving greenspace, it comes with undetermined roadblocks and costs due to longstanding irrigation issues in the area.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
The irrigation system, built on shallow wells, doesn't draw sufficient water, said recreation committee member James Lucas Jr. That’s why the field has remained uneven .
To address the problem, the city is proposing three different options: resurface the area used for soccer and baseball with natural turf, which would require fixing the irrigation system and hiring a professional to maintain the field; replace the area with artificial turf instead; and, the third alternative, which also employs artificial turf, but over a larger area to accommodate the 12-years-and-up youth sports leagues, as well as adults.
Of the three options, the one that would preserve the field’s natural turf is the least expensive at $688,000 over an 8-year life cycle. However, the price tag does not include ancillary costs such as impact or tap fees, lighting or cost for power. The estimation also doesn’t cover the salary for a professional to maintain the field.
"We're going to have to hire someone who knows how to do field turf that's natural. It's an art and it's not easy to grow grass down here," said Tybee Island city manager Shawn Gillen, referring to the island soil.
Upgrades to the grass would be made over a 60-yard-by-100-yard surface area encompassing the soccer field and baseball diamond. Costs for irrigation improvements are included, but Lucas pointed out that whether the system can even be fixed remains uncertain.
Another option calls for the use of artificial turf over the same 60-by-100 area. Synthetic turf material raises the estimated construction costs to $2.2 million over the 8-year life cycle, not including ancillary costs.
The final option employs artificial turf over a 75-yard-by-100-yard area, extending the borders of the soccer and baseball diamond outwards. This option also lays the baseball diamond with artificial turf, providing a softer landing than dirt for players diving for baseballs. Because of the larger turf area, the existing basketball court would have to be moved as well. The park's popular disc golf course could also be disrupted.
Projected costs for this option are $3.35 million over an 8-year life cycle and also do not include supplementary costs.
Many residents spoke vehemently against artificial turf, citing potential problems with water run-off and poor heat absorption compared to natural grass. Jaycee Park has been a local’s hangout spot since the 1970s.
“People need a place to take their children and pets to exercise,” said longtime resident Kathryn Williams, “It's my opinion that if the city is going to make a major recreational expenditure, it needs to be one that will be utilized by the majority of the residents.”
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Jaycee Park covers between 8 and 9 acres, most of which is green space. The proposed soccer field and baseball field comprise about 1.5 acres.
Some parents in the audience justified the hefty pricetags for artificial turf as a worthy investment for Tybee Island youth, a demographic that the community sorely lacks.
“There’s always been a problem with things for our children to do here on Tybee,” said Paula Hosti, “It is a problem keeping our children here on Tybee and making it a wholesome community … I think with some more work we can figure out how to accommodate pickleball people, we can accommodate the basketball court …”
YMCA program director Juliana Burdette pointed out that artificial turf is more durable than natural grass – that the area along the soccer goalposts won’t be worn out and have to be resurfaced.
Lucas, who also coaches soccer for the YMCA and Savannah United, added that with natural grass, it's likely the field will require constant maintenance even with proper irrigation, which could interfere with games. Natural turf has to be mowed and chemically treated for sand spurs, weeds and fire ants. Another issue, Lucas said, is that natural turf will have to be closed after a certain volume of rain to avoid damage, whereas artificial turf can be played on during and immediately after rain.
During the fall and spring tournament season – which lasts about six to seven months out of the year – games are played every Saturday and teams practice almost daily on the fields.
“I didn't come to artificial turf for no reason. I just want you all to understand that. It makes the most sense for the money in the long-term investment,” said Lucas.
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Credit: Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News
Still, some Tybee locals had lingering concerns about the improvements overall. All three plans propose constructing new pickleball courts, a sport that’s growing in popularity on Tybee. The fencing around the courts could interfere with the existing disc golf course.
“Over 300 visitors played Tybee Island's disc golf course last year from 36 different states. And that's just a number that comes from an app to track so the number is a lot higher than that,” said Frank Cunnane, president of the disc golf club, “We would like to see the pickleball courts go to Memorial Park.”
A few residents also brought up the fact that improvement plans called for the removal of 14 trees. And current plans don’t address the already-limited number of parking spaces - 31 - around the park.
Gillen noted the plans are preliminary and that the city will likely hold another forum in the coming weeks before official proposals are presented to the council for consideration. The new budget cycle begins June 30.
“What I’m hearing most from residents is get the grass fixed, get the irrigation system in there,” said Gillen.
Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Grass or astroturf? A $3.3 million question at Tybee's favorite off-the-beach rec space.
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