By Dakota Antelman — Dakota@concordbridge.org
Town officials expect to replace the aging Doug White Fields at Concord-Carlisle High School with more artificial turf, town manager Kerry Lafleur said Monday.
Lafleur said a public process will continue, with more opportunities for community input. But as some call on the town to ditch turf for natural grass, Lafleur said that’s unlikely.
“I really don’t foresee that,” she told The Concord Bridge after this week’s Select Board meeting. “I understand the concerns. But I do think there is at least a substantial body of science [to] say that grass isn’t any better because of what you have to do to maintain it.”
Turf versus grass
Leaders of the nonprofit Friends of Concord-Carlisle Playing Fields, which controls a roughly $1.55 million fund to replace the fields, argue that only turf can withstand the heavy use the Doug White Fields get. Supporters also say turf is a better option for high-level play.
The FCCPF encompasses local youth soccer, lacrosse, football, and adult soccer programs. Many individual athletes who use the fields have joined the push for turf.
Others in town have stood firm in their criticism, raising concerns about PFAS contamination and microplastic pollution, among other issues. Turf opponents largely support a natural grass replacement.
A complex arrangement among the town, CCHS, and the FCCPF governs the Doug White Fields.
Based on a legal opinion from town counsel, Lafleur said the Town of Concord isn’t required to lead the effort to replace the fields. But, she said, “Nobody is stepping up to take the lead.”
Project timing
Lafleur said the fields are approaching the end of their lives, so “it’s time to decide what we are going to do next.”
She said the town will probably hire a consulting firm, Gale Associates, to shepherd the field replacement through its design phase. She said Gale would consider turf alternatives.
The process will also run through the Recreation Commission, providing opportunities for public comment.
Lafleur repeatedly said officials expect to land on some form of artificial turf replacement.
That’s “because of the funding, and the existing agreements, and the interest by the users,” Lafleur told The Bridge, citing the $1.55 million that CCPF leaders say would come off the table if the town picks a grass replacement.
The town has allocated $100,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money, which Lafleur said will help evaluate options and plan the field replacement.
From there, she said the FCCPF money might not cover the entire project cost, but she said she hopes it will be “pretty close.”
‘Slow and deliberate’
Monday’s meeting included a discussion about the timing of a field replacement.
Lafleur said she hopes to replace the fields during the summer 2025 but that staff told her summer 2026 would be “more reasonable.”
Some members of the School Committee, which participated in Monday’s meeting alongside the Select Board and the Finance Committee, asked whether the town could shorten its timeline.
CCHS School Committee chair Julie Viola highlighted the fields as some of the busiest playing surfaces in town. “This will be a logistical nightmare if we don’t do something soon,” she said.
Lafleur said officials can examine the timeline, and “if the stars align,” she told The Bridge, a 2025 replacement could still be possible. However, she cautioned, the town must stick to a process that allows all voices to be heard.
“It’s slow and deliberate for a reason,” she said, “to make sure that everybody has their say-so.”
