Seattle Parks Department acknowledges that the purchase price of
synthetic turf is far greater than natural grass. Promoters of the
artificial products maintain that tremendous costs savings will be
forthcoming because of reduced maintenance costs, as well as the
product’s warranty.
But many of the artificial products are relatively new and not tested
over time and use. No or low-cost maintenance requirement claims
that are consistently made by promoters of artificial surfaces may
prove to be highly exaggerated. The notably unbiased field
publication Athletic Turf recently featured an articles which
addresses this concern. (click here to see article)
Some other questions about the rosy economic forecasts made by
the Seattle Parks Department:
- What is the longest period of time that the proposed
synthetic product has been in use? If the proposed product
has only been in use for a few years, how can Parks claim
with authority that it will have a life of 1-5 years, particularly
when the product is warrantied for only 8 years? - Where will the millions of dollars come from to replace all of
the aging synthetic surfaces as they age and become
unplayable? Replacement of the twelve current of planned
fields will cost upward of 12 million dollars! Will there be
additional levy funds needed to replace these aging fields? - Does a single warranty cover all aspects of the artificial
field's soil-base preparation, base materials, artificial turf
materials, top-dressing, irrigation system, etc., or will there
be separate warranties and warranty voiding conditions for
each element…some of which could contravene each other? - What level of labor (ground crew) is required to maintain an
artificial field, compared to a natural grass field? What
special equipment is needed to maintain artificial turf? - What level of technical training is supplied, recommended or
required for the ground crew in order to properly maintain
the area and the warranty conditions? - What are the warranty requirements or recommended
processes to address each of the following repair or
replacement requirements of the artificial surface:
Burns to larger areas?
Discoloration of areas caused by wear pattern?
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