Votes To Purchase Turf For Skating Rink
by Alex Brooks
Several Town board members went with Tom Margiotta recently to look at used turf that Riley Rink in Manchester wants to sell. They spent several hours there talking with people about the turf and its care and installation. It is 20 years old but it has been used only two months a year and is in very good condition. It is more than enough to cover the floor of the rink, and it is available to the town for $5,000, but Riley Rink wants to sell it now and it must be picked up within a month.
The idea of putting a turf surface in the skating rink during the off season came out of discussions about the facility set off when the Town consultant’s report found that building and maintaining a modern ice skating facility with refrigeration would be tough sledding for the town financially, even with the million dollar grant it had in hand. Even though the Town Board eventually decided against installing refrigeration equipment in the ice rink, it embraced the idea of installing turf and improving the lighting so the building would be used more and would generate more revenue. However, the budget for turf in the new repurposed grant was about $25,000. Councilman Bill Hanselman met with a turf company about a month ago and was told that a removable turf field made up of interlocking sections would cost $178,000, and a permanent turf field installation would cost $85,000.
The Town is not ready to install turf in the rink yet because in heavy rain conditions there have been some flooding issues with the rink in recent years. There was at one time an adequate drainage system which kept water away from the rink, but it has apparently been compromised in some way. Several members of the Town Board visited the rink in the week before this meeting to investigate the drainage situation. They identified some things that can be done right away to improve the situation but were not clear yet on what would be involved in a comprehensive permanent solution. Board members said it looks like the earliest the building could be ready to put down turf would be mid-summer.
Supervisor Mark Surdam said he thought buying the turf from Riley Rink at this price is a “no-brainer.” He said buying this product new would cost $100,000. He said he has heard from some groups who express interest in using a turf field at the rink, but the demand for it remains to be seen. By getting a turf field up and running without a major capital outlay, the Town would be able to offer a three season turf field without getting over-extended in its investments in recreational facilities.
Other board members agreed, and commented that the rink building is clearly under-utilized. With a turf field in it, it would at least offer the possibility of year-round use, and possibly generate some revenue to help pay for the Town’s recreational programs and facilities. The Board then voted 4-0 to approve purchase of the used turf from Riley Rink.
Surdam said there is a plan for storage of the turf, and they are working on making arrangements to pick it up at the end of the month or very early in March.