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Synthetic-turf athletic fields are popping up all over Fairfax County and now another is being planned for Linway Terrace Park in McLean.

McLean Little League has proposed to pay for conversion of the diamond field (Field 2, which mostly is used for softball) at the park from grass to synthetic turf. (Field 1 at the 10.7-acre park, located at 6246 Linway Terrace in McLean, already is covered with artificial turf.)

It’s possible the league also could receive a $20,000 Mastenbrook grant to assist with the project, which will cost about $1 million, FCPA officials said at a Jan. 12 public-information meeting, held online.

The Park Authority would manage the project’s design development and construction. Design work would take six months, followed by another year for permitting, four months for the bidding and contract award, and finally six to seven more months for construction.

Such turf conversions help the Park Authority extend fields’ playing seasons and allow for more access by residents, said Brendon Hanafin, director of FCPA’s Planning and Development Division.

“It’s a cost-effective solution [for] more play time versus adding additional fields,” he said. “Partnering with leagues that have the financial means to assist in these efforts allows the Park Authority to stretch our construction bonds while adding needed amenities.”

Converting the Linway Terrace Park diamond to a crumb-rubber synthetic turf would allow for greater usage during wet weather, said Paul Shirey, FCPA’s assistant director of planning and development.

“You get more of the scheduled games played throughout the season and without rescheduling,” he said.

Groups that finance turf conversions are eligible for up to 80 percent of the playing time at those facilities, Hanafin said. McLean Little League could use the field the rest of the time as well, if no one else claimed those periods.

FCPA will consider working with the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services to build stormwater-retention facilities at the site, so as to lessen downstream erosion, he said.

The Park Authority’s board of directors will decide in February or March whether to proceed with the project.

McLean Little League serves about 1,500 youths each year and has maintained the fields at Linway Terrace Park for at least the last decade, said representative Bryan Orme.

In addition to being usable in less-than-ideal weather, artificial-turf fields require less maintenance, provide a more consistent playing surface and are not as prone to develop ruts that pose risks to players, he said.

“We see this project as another chapter in our long-standing commitment to Linway,” Orme said.

Founded in 1955, the league “has been a pillar of the community for the last 68 years,” he said.

“Flat out, McLean would not be McLean without McLean Little League,” agreed Supervisor John Foust (D-Dranesville).

The Park Authority will continue accepting public comments on the proposal until Feb. 12. For more information about the project, call (703) 324-8662, e-mail parkmail@fairfaxcounty.gov or visit the Linway Terrace Park Synthetic Turf Conversion Project’s Website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/planning-development/development/linway-terrace.

[https://sungazette.news provides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.]

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