Oct. 9. By Dave Vieser. The Cornelius Town Board this week approved plans for the replacement of synthetic turf on the two soccer fields at Bailey Road Park.

Under the terms of the agreement, Geosurfaces Southeast of Mooresville will remove and dispose of the existing turf and install new turf at a cost of $756,000. The new fields will carry a 10-year warranty.

“Our staff worked through Sourcewell, a cooperative purchasing organization for local governments, to secure the proposed agreements,” said Town of Cornelius Parks Director Troy Fitzsimmons. “We based our recommendation on several factors, including proposal cost, overall quality of turf provided, reference checks and a tour of existing projects.”

The Bailey Road Park fields, originally installed in 2014, show substantial wear and tear in many areas. The existing rubber crumb will be saved and reused, which will help keep the cost of the new turf installation down.

The new turf is expected to be installed beginning in December and the fields should be open by early February.

Other items

Commissioners approved a new partnership agreement with the Charlotte Independence Soccer Club to continue providing youth and adult recreational soccer programs in town. As part of the agreement, the Independence will pay an annual fee that includes access to town fields. That fee will also help fund the synthetic turf replacement at Bailey Park.

At the same meeting, the board authorized a $47,500 expenditure to upgrade the sidewalk along portions of Bailey Road.