Construction manager, architect firm approved for referendum projects
By Kellen Olshefski
Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education got its first look at the turf that will be used at the district’s new athletic facilities at its Jan. 9 meeting.
Elkhorn Area School District Superintendent Jason Tadlock said district officials visited a couple different sites earlier this month to take a look at turf options in an effort to ensure they found the turf that was right for the district. Tadlock said Elkhorn coaches that joined district officials were happy with the turf choice.
The turf, according to Tadlock, would sit on a Styrofoam base, which has a higher cushion rating and provides some of the highest protection against concussions.
In addition, Tadlock noted, the base the district will be using will also be adequate for two cycles of turf, approximately 25 to 30 years. Tadlock said the turf is expected to last 15 to 20 years, meaning when it comes time to replace it for the first time, the district would not be required to also replace the base material.
“It’s like leaving your carpet matting down and replacing the carpet,” Tadlock said. “So, they’ll replace the turf, but they’ll leaving the matting… It’ll be less expensive theoretically next time because you won’t have to do any excavating.”
When it comes to drainage of the field, preventing water from pooling, Tadlock said the Styrofoam base features drainage holes and channels that will allow water to reach drainage tiles located beneath the base.
Tadlock said the system the district has chosen is a bit more expensive up front, however, on-going maintenance costs are lower over the 15 to 20 year life cycle of the turf, as the base would still be under warrantee.
“In the long run, it will be the least expensive option,” he said.
In addition to being used on the high school’s main athletic field, Tadlock said following discussions it was determined the turf would also be the best option for the surface of the district’s new multi-use athletic facility. Tadlock explained that on a square-footage basis, the turf would also be less expensive than other flooring options that are typically used inside a building.
“Inside and outside will have the same playing surface for students, and it’s a very durable surface,” Tadlock said. “We won’t have to pour a concrete slab in that large, expansive inside, so there will be some savings in going with this flooring option as opposed to the others.”
As for other referendum-related projects, Tadlock said the first bid package, which is for the high school’s greenhouse and the construction of the multi-use athletic facility, is set to go out early next week.
“We’re moving along, but we’re not breaking ground,” he said. “It’ll be some time before ground is broken, but they want to get people on board to start working with them.”
In other business, the School Board also voted in favor of awarding contracts for the construction manager and architect for referendum projects.
District Business Manager Bill Trewyn said the contracts had been reviewed by both district officials as well as the district’s insurance consultant.
District officials recommended C.G. Schmidt as the construction manager and Eppstein Uhen Architects to serve as the architects for the referendum projects. A motion to approve those contracts was passed unanimously by the board.
