DRESDEN ATHLETIC FIELDS COMMITTEE

LEBANON STREET SITE SUB-COMMITTEE REPORT

April 25, 2005

The sub-committee met on April 11 and toured the existing fields around Hanover High School. Jonathan Brush was extremely helpful in pointing out the existing infrastructure and potential problem areas. After looking over the fields, we met inside and divided up responsibilities with plans to report back with additional information. These initial discussions broke down into the following major categories:

Current Fields Disposition

            Two important issues came up during our walking tour. The first is the need to establish a specific boundary at the far end (side furthest away from the school) of the existing football field/track area. There is a fence there that may or may not accurately reflect the end of the Dresden property. Since the field/track is going to need to be moved in that general direction due to the new parking area that will ultimately be located behind the school, we need to know exactly how much land we have to work with.

            Another issue is a drainage pipe underneath the existing field hockey field. At the far end of the field (furthest away from the school) there is serious erosion where the pipe comes out; if it continues, it could impact the field. If we do choose to develop this field, the drainage pipe will have to be addressed. The question of who is responsible for this line needs to be discussed/negotiated with the Town of Hanover ASAP.

            Finally, we did not discuss any radical changes to the existing soccer game field. I would think that as we attempt to upgrade all the HS facilities, we would want to try and improve this field as well; an example might be resodding of some kind.

Action Needed:          

Outdoor Track

            The current outdoor track is not usable for competition and barely acceptable for limited practice situations. Barry Harwick investigated two local schools that have had fairly recent experience with new tracks, Lebanon High School and Windsor High School. After talking to people at both schools, it was clear that site work and sub-structure was crucial to a good final product. A sub-surface of between 18-24 inches is necessary in our climate to prevent frost heaves and cracking in the track surface. Making sure that the sub-surfaces are well compacted is also vital. A final point in this area is that if the soil material is clay based, and that is what we are dealing with, a moisture barrier is also advisable.

            Lebanon and Windsor had their tracks constructed by a group called Cape and Islands and both have been pleased with their work. The company has a very useful website that can answer a lot of questions about track design and site preparation.

Pathways also did a preliminary analysis for the last fields committee and that had some useful information as well.

            Before proceeding too much further with this aspect of the overall athletic field project, there are several specific questions that need to be answered:

Actions Needed:

Turf Field

            Several forces have driven the overall committee's work: Sharing of fields, making better use of fields, keeping as many events as possible at the Lebanon Street site. All of these factors point to having an artificial turf field at the high school. Mike Jackson told the sub-committee that for some sports, he would be able to schedule three consecutive practices (or games) on a turf field. Maintenance for the field would be minimal and problems with rainouts would be virtually eliminated.

            The sub-committee feels that with some work, the existing field hockey field would be the best site for turf. To get the full use out of the area, the existing field would have to be enlarged. (This would allow a variety of sports events to take place there since different fields have different dimensions and the current size is too small to accommodate some.)

Other points to consider:

Actions needed:

Lights

            Lighting a field at HHS would allow practices, and in some cases games, to be extended past the normal hours of darkness which preclude the use of fields for outdoor events. As with the turf field above, the lights would also allow sharing, more efficient use of fields, and keep events close to the HS.

            The sub-committee believes that the combination of a lighted turf field on the site of the existing field hockey field would be the best way to proceed.

            Cam Brown and Jonathan Brush have researched two area schools, Lebanon and Hartford, that added lights fairly recently. Both schools have been very happy with their lights. Lebanon has had them for five years and they have had to do no maintenance.

Factors to consider:

Actions needed:

Additional Conclusions & Action Items

            The first thing that needs to be done is to schedule a meeting of the neighborhoods that abut the Lebanon Street site. It is important that the Fields Committee keep the community fully aware of what we are trying to do and to solicit their input on ways to make the project better.

            Secondly, the next phase is going to have a huge budget component. The committee is going to need to be able to present specific costs for each of the above proposals.

            It is never too early to consider which parts of the project can be aided by donated labor or material. (The fill for the base of the turf field is one clear example. The holes for the light towers at Lebanon were dug by Granite State Electric; Hartford had considerable labor donated for their lights project.)

            Since the Lebanon Street site is likely to be the cornerstone of the field's committee's work, we need to coordinate our efforts with the sub-committees on sharing, publicity and the development of the Norwich site.