Approve the Revised Concept for
Lakewood Park Renovation
Project
Review Design Considerations for Natural Grass
for Public Athletic Fields
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Agenda
Overview of athletic field usage and demand
Analysis selecting grass type for athletic field
Types of grasses
Maintenance practices
Field base construction
Market research
Changes to field layout
Capital and operational fiscal impacts
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Tonight’s Decision Points
Approve the Revised Concept for Lakewood Park per Council Direction in October 2023 to:
Replace the use of artificial turf with natural grass Consider removing the fencing south of the halfway line of the multipurpose field
Explore the installation of Bermuda grass and other drought resistance natural turf options
Include batting cages into the project design
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Overview of Field Usage and Demand
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Overview of Current Uses at Lakewood
Park
Current uses include, but are not limited to:
Lakewood athletic field reservations totaled 813 hrs (approx. 20 hrs/week)
More common Less common
Soccer (youth and adult) Cricket
Softball (youth and adult) Rugby
Youth baseball Volleyball
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Field Surface Quality
Field Usage
Field Usage has an inverse
relationship to the field
surface quality. Other
factors include:
Ages/weights of athletes
Level of competition: practice
vs. games
Time of year/sports
season/weather
Low High
Low High
Field Wear and Use Hours
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Equivalent Use Hours
Every hour of field use has an Equivalent Use* based on the wear factor for each sport
Calculating your weekly usage
A natural grass field should be programmed for a
maximum of 56 Equivalent Use hours per week*
The chart at the right depicts a hypothetical scenario showing the calculations for a range of sports (not specific to Lakewood Park) Recommended Hours of Use
*Calculating recommended hours per day and equivalent use hours involves many factors such as specific sports’ impacts, age/weight of athletes, practice vs. games, and weather/seasonal factors. These numbers are based on professional experience and as conferred with lo cal turf experts.
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
*Calculating recommended hours per day and equivalent use hours involves many factors such as specific sports’ impacts, age/weight of athletes, practice vs. games, and weather/seasonal factors. These numbers are based on professional experience and as conferred with lo cal turf experts.
Natural Grass
For a perfectly maintained field (with proper
mowing, fertilizing, aerating, etc.) you can
program a maximum of 8 hours per day*
Current
In 2023, between March and November ,
Lakewood Park had 813 reservation hours,
which equates to an average of 20 hours
per week
This does not account for equivalent hours
Recommended Hours of Use
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Fair Oaks Park (year-round) had 5,641 hours.
Ortega Park (Mar-Nov) had 1,627 hours.
Washington Park (Mar-Nov) had 1,351 hours.
These numbers do not account for drop-in play that is not recorded by LRS staff.
The City has more demand (annual use hours) for field usage than a natural grass field can support.
Other Park Use Hours
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Selecting a Grass Type
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Natural Grass: Regional Species Map
Sunnyvale, CA
*Source: sportsfieldmanagement.org
The Sports Turf Managers Association was officially formed in 1981 to facilitate the sharing of ideas and information. The association has 2700 members and is headquartered in Lawrence, KS.
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Natural Grass: Main Species Types
Cool-Season Grasses
Perennial Ryegrass/
Bluegrass/Fescue Blend
Most growth occurs in spring and
fall
*Optimal temp for growth 60-75°
Warm-Season Grasses
Bermuda grass including hybrid
varieties/ Buffalograss
Most growth occurs in late spring
- early fall
*Optimal temp for growth 80-95°
*Source: sportsfieldmanagement.org
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Natural Grass Types: Pros and Cons
Cool-Season Grasses
Pros
Climate adapted to our location
Most common type of natural grass
used in Bay Area
Less intensive maintenance
practices
Cons
Requires significant
water/fertilizer/pesticides
Longer recovery time required
Requires maintenance practices
Warm-Season Grasses
Pros
Vigorous growth during warm weather
More wear tolerant
Recuperates rapidly/less recovery time
More disease resistant
More drought tolerant
Cons
Requires more intensive maintenance practices
(thatch removal/verti-cutting/reel mower)
Requires significant fertilizer/pesticides
Goes dormant in cool season (requires
overseeding)
*Source: sportsfieldmanagement.org
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Natural Grass: Cultural Practices
Cultural Practices
All natural grasses require cultural practices, including:
• Mowing
• Fertilization
• Irrigation
• Weed Control
• Soil Cultivation
• Core Aerification
• Deep-tine Aerification
• Deep-drill Aerification
• Slicing/Verti-cutting
• Top-dressing
• Overseeding
Special applications:
Bermuda grasses
• Require frequent dethatching and aeration
Sand-based fields
• Require more frequent dethatching and aeration to keep the surface layer permeable
*Source: sportsfieldmanagement.org
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Natural Grass Systems
Three Main Natural Grass System Types
Each option provides varying drainage
characteristics, aeration, and protection against
compaction.
Why does it matter?
Natural grass thrives in the presence of air
(aeration), water, and nutrients within the soil.
Soil compaction can prevent the passage of air,
water, and nutrients into the soil and is a major
cause of natural grass failure.
Natural grass benefits from a well-draining, well
aerated soil.
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Native Soil
Grass Field
Slit-Sand
Field
Sand Based
Field
Capital
Cost/SF
$9
$12.50
$28
Field Performance Maintenance
Requirements
Susceptible to compaction, and
holding water when wet, which can
lead to planarity issues.
Requires a steeper cross-slope.
May not be usable after short rain
events.
Drainage and aeration are improved,
but soils between trenches are
susceptible to the same issues as
native soil grass field.
Can likely accommodate short rain
events.
Superior drainage, aeration, and
planarity.
Field can be relatively flat.
Can accommodate short rain events.
Suffer over prolonged periods of dry
conditions.
Higher absorption of water and nutrients
within soil profile.
Requires high level of cultural practices.
Need to be aware of compaction.
Moderate absorption of water and
nutrients.
Requires high level of cultural practices.
Low absorption of water and nutrients
due to sand profile.
Requires high level of cultural practices.
Inconsistencies in aeration and
topdressing will compromise drainage
system.
Natural Grass Systems: Comparison
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Local Market Comparison
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Natural Grass Types: Other Bay Area Cities
Grass Type: Native Soil and Slit Sand
Cities that use perennial blue/rye grass
San Francisco, Burlingame, Redwood City,
Sunnyvale, & Santa Clara
Grass Type: Sand Based Fields
Cities that use Hybrid Bermuda
San Francisco, Burlingame, Redwood City, &
Santa Clara
San Francisco overseeds with Rye
Santa Clara specifically uses Bandera and
Latitude 36 varieties
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Field Closures: Other Bay Area Cities
Field Closures
Sunnyvale and other Bay Area City fields are
typically closed for extended periods during the
winter and as-needed for field maintenance &
recovery
Some limit their hours of programmed activity
to 3-6 hours/day, 6-7 days/week
Field Type
Natural Grass
Natural Grass
Natural Grass
Natural Grass
Natural Grass
Natural Grass
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Field Layout and Use Changes
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Overview of Layout Changes
Field Layouts are operational examples:
Field marking is temporary on natural grass and will rotate based on usage
The addition of dirt infields removes the option for a clearly marked and fully grass youth cricket field
The pathway from the greenbelt to the library across the fields competes with the ability to rotate field layouts for optimal field performance
Includes batting cages
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Lakewood Field Layout: Original Layout
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Layout Field Layout: Option A
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Lakewood Field Layout: Option B
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Fiscal Impacts
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Capital and Operational Impacts
Staff Recommendation is within existing budget for capital High performance sand based field will cost an additional $2.2- $2.9 million
Any expectation of improvement or maximization of use time will require additional operating resources, estimated at
approximately $500,000 - $800,000 annually for additional staff, equipment, training, and materials
Capital costs would be added on construction contract award Operating costs added with the FY 2026/27 Operating Budget Cycle (coincides with completion of project)
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Staff Recommendation
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Recommendations for Lakewood Park
Opportunities to reduce wear:
Rotate field locations within the space.
Change daily location of practices on the field.
Shift fields of play to shift areas of concentrated
wear.
Limit use of fields during rainy weather
patterns.
Use portable goals and move them around the
field for drills and practice, thus limiting wear in
the area of the mounted goal posts.
Provide warm-up space to keep activities off of
the field.
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Recommendations for Lakewood Park
Install a natural grass/native soil field* at
Lakewood Park.
Optimize soil conditions with amendments
and/or import of sandy loam soils.
Incorporate surface drainage at perimeter,
outside of playing fields
Use a cool season bluegrass/rye blend
Parks Staff must be equipped with adequate
resources/equipment to properly maintain
fields.
Programming will need to account for
equivalent use-hours so fields are not
overused.
*A synthetic turf solution is not an option for Lakewood Park Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Staff Recommendation
Alternatives 1 and 3:
1. Approve the Revised Concept for the Lakewood Renovation Project and installation of a natural turf Bluegrass/Rye blend or other blend with similar performance on a native soil field for the Lakewood Park athletic field
3. Find the Action is Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15262
Lakewood Park Renovation and Enhancement Project
Thank you!
Questions?