Prince George’s County (VA) lawmakers are looking to avoid a turf war over a new bill that would require all public high schools in the county to install artificial fields by the end of 2018.
While turf fields generally cost more upfront, proponents say they save money over the long run due to low upkeep compared with the maintenance natural grass requires. The fields can also be open year-round.
“Synthetic turf allows for constant play. You can have a lot more kids playing on those fields than you would if they were grass,” said Rick Doyle, president of the Synthetic Turf Council.
Doyle added that artificial turf costs four to five times less in maintenance costs than keeping a grass field.
Critics, however, say artificial fields are often not as reliable as turf companies suggest. The Parents’ Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland began pushing back when Montgomery County built a turf field at Rockville’s Richard Montgomery High School in 2008.
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