This Letter to the Editor from my best buddy, Darren Gill, VP of Global Marketing for FieldTurf, showed up in a Westfield, NJ newspaper yesterday.
FieldTurf Objects to Westfield's Choice for Sid Fay and Houlihan Fields
I found this to be fascinating:
- Fieldturf has had hundreds of fields fail prematurely (all very easily verified) while still under warranty yet Gill calls out Desso for having 2 fields replaced while still under warranty
- Gill singles out Desso as a "European based company." Fieldturf is wholly owned by Tarkett -a European company. http://www.tarkett.com/en/history
- Gill writes, "- In fact, as proof to the contrary, Penn State University’s Sports Surface Research Center conducted their own independent testing on 13 different monofilament fibers and found the 40 ounce FieldTurf product to be the most durable of all tested. The 60 ounce systems from Astroturf and 45 ounce system from Mondo were significantly less durable."
If FieldTurf does not get the job, will we be seeing a similar letter, such as "FieldTurf Objects to Mt. Lebanon's Choice for Middle and Wildcat Fields?"
Update June 19, 2014 10:36 AM I am not familiar with the bidding process, but how can contractors' bids be submitted in a sealed envelope before the 11:00 opening when this mandatory addendum, sent at 3:30 PM yesterday, is to be included with any bid submissions?
Update June 19, 2014 9:42 PM Mt. Lebanon officials studying 4 artificial turf bids for fields
Update June 19, 2014 10:36 AM I am not familiar with the bidding process, but how can contractors' bids be submitted in a sealed envelope before the 11:00 opening when this mandatory addendum, sent at 3:30 PM yesterday, is to be included with any bid submissions?
Update June 19, 2014 9:42 PM Mt. Lebanon officials studying 4 artificial turf bids for fields
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Justin Merriman | Tribune-Review
A sign in a yard along Cedar Boulevard in Mt. Lebanon on Thursday, June 19, 2014, protests the controversial proposal of putting artificial turf on two baseball fields.
Update June 20, 2014 10:45 AM Comparing the 11.06.13 Bendel presentation and the Turf Project Task Force presentation with what occurred yesterday, sheds a little more light to this disaster waiting to happen.
On page 13 of Bendel's presentation, the Opinion of Cost provided by Gateway Engineers was:
Scope of Work Opinion of Cost*
Base – grading, gravel base, drainage $354,400
Turf and organic fill $490,000
Contingency/Soft costs $89,070
Maintenance equipment, bleachers, fencing, landscaping $66,300
Total initial project costs $999,770
*Provided by Gateway Engineers
On page 12 of the 02.11.14 Turf Project Task Force Recommendations lists the five vendors who were interested in the project and interviewed. The second bullet explains FieldTurf's role. "Turf vendors in general supply the turf and infill and work with qualified site contractors acting as the General Contractor." Hellas was extremely interested, but couldn't compete with the final specifications. Speaking of final specifications, the Turf Project Task Force Recommendations included these specs, "To address the multi-purpose, heavy use planned for the field, the specification recommended for the turf will be a slit film with monofilament blend." We're already being set up for a revision in the final specs. According to the TPTF specs, we should be accepting the $859,000 product, not the $827,000 product.
Massillon, Ohio-based Vasco appeared to be the lowest bidder for two options that would use artificial turf with a sand and crumb-rubber infill. The company bid $827,000 to install a “monofilm” surface, with artificial grass blades that are rounded and slightly stiffer, and $859,000 for a blend of monofilm and slit-film blades, which Recreation Director David Donnellan said look like the flat-bladed artificial grass used in Easter baskets.
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