CAZENOVIA — In the coming weeks, voters in the Cazenovia Central School District (CCSD) will be asked to participate in a Phase 2 Capital Project referendum at the Cazenovia Middle School.

According to the district, the proposed $10,713,319 capital project is intended to address equity, infrastructure, program needs, and excellence outside the school buildings by improving the physical education (P.E.) and sports facilities at CCSD’s Emory Avenue Complex.

“It has long been our goal to provide our students and community with modernized playing fields that are safe, durable, cost-conscious, environmentally responsible, and beneficial to all,” said CCSD Superintendent Christopher DiFulvio in a letter posted on the district website.

In the correspondence, DiFulvio explains that the project was proposed following extensive research, a professional assessment of CCSD’s current athletic fields, and discussions with consultants and stakeholders.

“We are confident that now is the right time to modernize the physical education, athletics, and community facilities at our Emory Avenue Complex to include a multi-purpose sports stadium and synthetic turf fields,” DiFulvio wrote.

In 2017, CCSD started developing a long-range facilities plan, “Cazenovia 2030 And Beyond!,” to identify and prepare for future capital improvement needs. Phase 1, which was approved by voters in December 2018 and is concluding now, addressed what the district describes as “higher-need infrastructure and educational programs primarily inside our school buildings.” Once the $15 million Phase 1 Capital Project started wrapping up, the district turned its attention to planning for Phase 2.

The proposed Phase 2 project involves modifications to both the Buckley-Volo Stadium and the adjacent “Upper Field.”

According to the district’s plan, the Buckley-Volo Stadium field would be transformed into a multi-purpose, synthetic turf field to be used by the physical education programs and multiple girls’ and boys’ teams. The field would be marked for field hockey, football, lacrosse, and soccer (up to 225 ft x 360 ft), and the stadium would be outfitted for track and field events, including shot put, discus, high jump, pole vault, triple jump, and steeplechase.

Other elements of the stadium work would include resurfacing the track, mitigating flooding at the jump pits, replacing the existing press box, and making improvements to the drainage system, stormwater retention system, utility/water lines, retaining walls, fencing, scoreboard, flagpole, and parking areas.

Although lighting and sound upgrades are not being considered for Phase 2, the project design would include minor site modifications that would allow for potential field lighting and an updated sound system in the future.

The Upper Field, located behind the stadium, would be modified into a multi-purpose, synthetic turf field that would be used for P.E. classes, team practices, and competitions. The field would be marked for baseball, softball, field hockey, football, lacrosse, and soccer (up to 190 ft x 360 ft).

The plan for the Upper Field also includes storm water retention, retaining walls, perimeter chain link fencing, chain link backstops and dugouts for the softball and baseball fields, a scoreboard, an extended paved access drive, and site drainage improvements.

According to CCSD, Cazenovia is one of only four districts in the 14-district OHSL Liberty Conference for athletics that does not have a synthetic turf field. The district believes that because its students are unable to practice on the same type of surface that they’re expected to play on at away games, they are left at a competitive disadvantage. The district also emphasizes that its fields cannot withstand heavy use during wet and muddy conditions, leading to many canceled practices and rescheduled games, some of which are moved off-site.

The district anticipates that the proposed field alterations will allow the Emory Avenue Complex to host simultaneous competitions or practices. Both fields would also be used regularly by the physical education programs and would be available for use by community groups, including the youth sports programs.

CCSD intends to cover most of the project costs using a combination of available State Building Aid (estimated $4,188,192) and $2,410,325 from the district’s capital reserve fund, which is designated for capital improvements.

The remaining “local share” ($4,114,802) would be financed through the local tax levy. The estimated average annual increase for taxpayers is $39.54 per $100,000 full assessed home value.

If approved by voters, the project would be further refined during a multi-month design phase. It would then be submitted to the New York State Education Department for review and approval. Construction would tentatively begin in the spring of 2023 with the project wrapping up around December 2024.

On Jan. 26, DiFulvio announced in a letter to the CCSD community that the referendum, which was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8, would be moved to a later date to provide residents with more time to “fully process the proposal.”

“The district’s goal is to provide as much clarity and transparency as possible prior to asking residents to participate in a vote,” DiFulvio wrote.

Public information session

On Jan. 27, the district held a public information session at the high school to present the proposed project and give community members the opportunity to ask questions.

During the session, the district’s panel of experts responded to questions and received input from parents, students, teachers, coaches, and other interested members of the community who were either in favor, against, or unsure about the project.

The panelists were CCSD Assistant Superintendent/Business Official Thomas Finnerty, senior architectural designer James Bouffard of Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers, CCSD Director of Facilities Geoffrey Brown, attorney Colleen W. Heinrich of Ferrara Fiorenza PC, finance attorney Ted Trespasz of Trespasz & Marquardt, LLP, Christine Crowley of Fiscal Advisors & Marketing, Inc., Kevin Donaghue of Campus Construction Management Group Inc., landscape architect Jim Stephenson of Tetra Tech Architects & Engineers, and CCSD Athletic Administrator Michael Byrnes.

DiFulvio and CCSD Board of Education President David Mehlbaum also helped address the public’s questions and/or concerns.

During the project overview, Byrnes highlighted the impact of wet conditions and insufficient drainage on the playability of the current fields.

“This fall, the girls’ soccer team qualified for sectionals and had a home playoff game against Christian Brothers Academy scheduled,” he recalled. “We had a whole two or three days of rain and a nice sunny day on Monday, but our field was unplayable and unmaintainable. We had to call CBA and ask if we could play the game [there]. Fortunately, our girls did win the game, [but] we had to all hop in the school buses and vehicles and drive to Christian Brothers Academy. . . Their concession stand was open, and they sold food and made fundraising money and all those types of things, and their community members were able to come out and watch. Meanwhile, we had to travel. That’s not a unique experience. . . That is our [weekly] struggle all fall and all spring.”

Byrnes added that muddy fields have also forced the P.E. programs to operate primarily indoors.

Next, DiFulvio addressed the claim that there are more injuries on turf than natural grass.

The superintendent first noted that, unlike some districts, CCSD plans to lay the turf down with a shock absorber. He also said that if the district opted to install high-quality grass fields with the proper drainage, the recommended use time would be 10 to 16 hours per week, versus 60 hours for turf.

“If you are taking 60 hours of play and comparing it to 10 to 16, then yeah there will be more injuries because kids are playing more,” DiFulvio said.

DiFulvio also responded to questions regarding runoff and storm water management plans.

Currently, he explained, water runs straight off the fields down to the road.

“What we would be looking to do is put in a state-of-the-art storm water system [underneath the field’s surface] that would actually make our water management better and more environmentally friendly and up to New York State DEC standards,” he said.

According to the “Phase 2 Capital Project Frequently Asked Questions” on the district website, storm water from the turf fields would be collected and filtered in “multi-phase chamber units built into the field system.” The units separate and trap any solid particles, heavy metals, and natural pollutants from the water. The system allows only the pre-treated water to be released back into the environment and into the municipal collection system.

The turf fields that CCSD is currently considering have a life expectancy of about 15 years, at which time typically only the turf surface and infill would require replacing. Therefore, the existing rubber safety pad, subgrade, and drainage system would remain in place. According to the district, the anticipated cost would be approximately $1,150,000, based on current market values and escalations.

During the Q&A session, the panel responded to a variety of specific inquiries and concerns, including those relating to the cost of the project, potential supply chain issues, the timing of the vote, and the maintenance and life expectancy of synthetic turf.

When asked whether the district had completed a comprehensive environmental assessment of the proposed project, Heinrich explained that in accordance with New York State regulations, the district followed the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQR), which included a formal, three-part environmental assessment. After reviewing the assessment and considering comments from involved agencies, the CCSD Board of Education determined that the project would not result in any significant adverse environmental impacts.

In response to a concern about potential safety risks associated with playing on crumb-rubber infilled synthetic turf, Byrnes noted that Cazenovia athletes play on fields with crumb-rubber around 60 to 70 percent, or more, of the time when they play away games.

“This is something that our students and our families are perfectly used to and actually prefer,” he said.

The community member who voiced the concern was also told that she could be provided studies submitted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Department of Health that would address her exact concerns.

The panel also responded to a request that the district commit to having the turf fields used equally by the boys’ and girls’ teams.

DiFulvio said he would agree to do so because it is what the district wants, and it is what is required by Title IX.

“Right now, we have one single field that is mostly used for one boys’ sport and our girls have taken a back seat,” he said. “What I have heard from the community is that it has been too long and that our girls deserve the same. I agree.”

Near the end of the information session, Finnerty said he would gladly post a more detailed breakdown of the costs of the proposed project online along with a comparison of the costs of synthetic versus natural turf and an explanation of the anticipated state aid. DiFulvio also informed the group that the topics brought up during the session would be integrated into the district’s FAQ online document.

A video recording of the information session will be posted on the district website.

The new referendum date — which DiFulvio said would likely be scheduled for March — and the date of a second information session (in-person and live-streamed) will be announced in the coming weeks.

Applications for absentee ballots may be obtained on the district website or from the district clerk. Applications must be received at least seven days prior to the vote. Call 315-655-1317 for more information.

Additional information on the proposed Phase 2 Capital Project, including FAQs, is available on the Capital Projects webpage at cazenoviacsd.com.

Questions that are not answered in the FAQ can be directed to DiFulvio at [email protected].