Focusing on a time-sensitive piece of a wider vision for the athletic fields at New Canaan High School, officials said Tuesday that they’re pursuing the re-surfacing of the turf at Dunning Stadium this summer.
The life expectancy of the turf now in place at the Rams’ picturesque athletic stadium is 10 years, and Dunning is entering its eleventh year, according to Jay Egan, athletic director at NCHS. The turf at the 1997-built stadium last was replaced in 2005.
Egan told the Board of Selectmen at its regular monthly meeting that this past fall he was surprised to see open seams on the turf field just before FCIAC field hockey semifinals (there turned out to be about 100 seams that needed repair).
“We don’t want to be in a situation—we are not there now—but we don’t want to find ourselves in the next year or year-and-a-half—with a situation where for some reason that facility will not be able to be used,” Egan said during the selectmen meeting, held at Town Hall.
So, Egan and others involved in an effort launched last year under the name “Ram Spirit Fund” have prioritized the replacement of the turf fields, even as long-term goals include the turfing of the grass fields by the water towers, creation of a turf baseball field, and installation of new stands and storage areas.
Specifically, Egan said, the Ram Spirit Fund is looking at installation by a reputable Calhoun, Ga.-based company (Shaw Sports Turf) of a “next-generation infill” (from what appears to be a Des Moines-based company, CushionFall Sport) which, “though it is more expensive” is “the most safe surface that we possibly can choose for the athletes of New Canaan.”
“It’s sort of like painting your house. If you sand your house down well, you get a clean [surface], the painting is always going to look good. If what’s underneath it is not right, it will never look good. When the seal had been built at Dunning Stadium, they over-engineered it and they built it in exemplary fashion. There is crushed stone underneath and the drainage and the field has never even puddled in the years that we have had it. So it is an exemplary surface underneath. We are looking at the best quality surface to put over the top, and we are confident that the field will continue to be as playable as it has been last for the last 20 years.”
The project is estimated to cost up to about $513,000 and the selectmen approved Egan’s request to pursue it 3-0. The athletic director went before the Board of Finance Tuesday night and will seek final approval from the Town Council later this month.
Funding for the project will be raised privately through a nonprofit foundation overseen by the New Canaan Community Foundation (fundraising will start in earnest once town approvals are in hand), Egan said.
Jim Dunning, for whose family the field at NCHS is named, has made a $125,000 donation to kickstart the fund.
“He is out of New Canaan now, but he is just a tremendously generous, sports-minded persona nd we are really very much appreciative of his continued interest and support in New Canaan,” Egan said of Dunning.
Cynthia Gorey, president and CEO of the New Canaan Community Foundation, said during an interview that her organization is “pleased to support a community organization in their fundraising efforts and to bring our expertise and our systems to bear to support them.”
“No small community organization should go out and re-create the wheel. We have that ability here to accept donations, process donations and keep the money until projects happen.”
Those interested in learning more about the turf resurfacing project, including how to donate, may contact NCHS Athletic Director Jay Egan at jay.egan@ncps-k12.org or 203-594-4639.