Butler Field To Close Due to Safety Concerns

It seems that the debate about the replacement of Butler Field went on too long. Though the Scarsdale Board of Education approved a plan to replace the field at their July, 2018 meeting, unfortunately the field will have to close before the fall season. Dips in the field are too pronounced, the turf is beyond repair and rainfalls are causing conditions to degrade further.

The original schedule called for use of the field through November, and use of the track through January. Now there will be no use of Butler Field and track access will be suspended in October.

Fall teams will be without the practice and playing field and the district will be without the use of its only turf field. With field space already in high demand, this will undoubtedly strain both the district’s athletic program and fall recreational sports programs.

Here is a letter sent to the community from Assistant Superintendent Stuart Mattey and Director of Physical Education and Athletics Ray Pappalardi on August 16. Please share your thoughts on the field in the comments section below:

To the Scarsdale Community:

We are writing to provide an update on the upcoming closures of the Butler Field and Track, and how these closures will affect access to the facilities by community residents.

As you may know, Butler Field is 13 years old and has reached the end of its usable life. This spring season, it was necessary to increase grooming and repairs to Butler Field in order to keep the field usable. This, coupled with its upcoming renovation, has resulted in more intense monitoring of the field conditions, which has led to our having strong concerns regarding the safety and playability of Butler Field.

Our concerns about the condition of Butler Field are based on the following:

· At every five yard line, the field level changes.
· There are several locations on the field where the level changes more severely.
· Where the pre-construction borings were performed, the surface cannot be repaired completely; the turf is too old and worn.
· After each hard rain, more low spots appear, infill aggregates, and playing conditions continue to degrade.

As a result of these concerns, all fall season coaches have been made aware that Butler Field will be closed for all games and practices starting next week. We are working closely with the coaches to provide the best possible alternatives to Butler Field, including use of turf fields in other local schools.

Construction fencing on the inside perimeter of the track is scheduled to be put in place on Friday, August 24. There will still be access to the track until early October, when the entire area will be closed for the renovation. The track replacement may not be completed until well into the spring, or even later, depending on weather conditions.

It is expected that the Butler Field and track renovation will begin in early October with removal of the current turf field, followed by upgrades to the drainage system, installation of the new turf surfaces, and finally track replacement.

Sincerely,

Stuart Mattey
Assistant Superintendent for Business and Facilities

Ray Pappalardi
Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics