Woolsey FieldTurf will be replaced

SHORELINE

The newly installed FieldTurf at King’s Woolsey Stadium valued at a half-million dollars will have to be ripped up and replaced.

The turf failed quality control lab tests conducted by FieldTurf, the company that manufactures and installs the turf, King’s school officials found out last month.

FieldTurf usually tests the product before they ship it out but in this case the test results didn’t come back until the turf was already installed, said Donny Jones, Washington state area manager for FieldTurf.

That’s because FieldTurf was trying to “hustle our project” so the school could get a few of its fall football and soccer games in, King’s superintendent Eric Rasmussen said. King’s had originally hoped to host a girls soccer game Oct. 4 and a football game Oct. 5.

That date got pushed back to an Oct. 26 football game against Granite Falls, but the problems with the turf ended that possibility.

The turf usually passes the tests, Jones said.

FieldTurf will replace the turf at no cost to King’s.

“FieldTurf has been fabulous,” Rasmussen said. “We haven’t lost any faith in them. When it was brought to their attention they responded well.”

Officials from King’s and FieldTurf will meet this week to come up with a new timeline to replace the turf.

“We trust that’s going to happen and happen in a timely manner,” Rasmussen said.

The goal now is have the field ready for spring sports season.

“We want to make sure we’re not cutting any corners to get it done faster,” Rasmussen said. “We want to make sure we’re doing it right.”

The total price tag for the FieldTurf portion of the stadium renovations is $1.3 million. The Woolsey Stadium track also is going to be resurfaced as part of the project but that may not happen until next summer because of weather and scheduling considerations, Rasmussen said.