DEVELOPMENT OF PLANS
for Lebanon Street Site
May 2005
The Dresden Athletic Fields Committee is taking an incremental
approach to creating a plan that focuses initially on how
best to leverage the fields at Hanover High School (HHS),
then evaluates what is further required, which will be satisfied
by creating a plan for some development of the Norwich parcel.
Presented here are possible options for the HHS site.
Option 1: Status Quo
The configuration will remain as is; however, the soccer field,
football field, field hockey field, and track will be renovated.
Sod and/or grass will be used.
Pros: Simplest engineering and design work.
Cons: Does little to upgrade facilities and
does nothing to help solve field shortage issues.
Option 2: Status Quo Plus New Grass Field
Dresden owns land below the existing field hockey field -
by the ropes course on the way to Thompson Terrace. It might
be possible to create an athletic field in this area.
Pros: Adds a new field that is close to HHS.
Helps to solve field shortage problem.
Cons: Difficult area to build in due to topography,
and there are wetlands and other environmental concerns. Existing
Ropes Course would be affected.
Option 3: Reconfiguration & Installation of Synthetic
Turf Field
This option involves two major components, which include expanding
the size of the current field hockey field and “flip-flopping”
the football and soccer/lacrosse fields.
1) Raise the existing field hockey field approximately ten
feet using donated fill, which will create a playing space
large enough for any sport. Install a synthetic turf field
that has lines configured for multiple sports, including,
for example, field hockey, football, lacrosse, and soccer.
Install lights to maximize usage.
2) "Flip-flop" and renovate existing football and
soccer fields, which will allow for a more traditional sized
soccer field (the existing one is undersized) while still
allowing for a standard sized football field (which requires
less space). Build a new track around the new soccer field.
Pros: Turf field with lights will increase
field availability and usage dramatically and therefore require
fewer fields to be constructed. Turf fields require dramatically
less maintenance and can be used everyday by multiple teams.
New fields for other sports will be much improved and create
a safer facility for games and practices.
Cons: Over the short term, this will be more
costly than options 1 and 2.
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