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A Newsletter by the City of Saco, Maine	November, 2005	Return to newsletter index

Practice Field Transformation

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By Ron Kiene

It was a massive earth moving project and, upon completion, the City of Saco now has a new practice field area over six acres in size. It is large enough to conduct at least three soccer games - simultaneously with room left over. The new field is the former landfill cap on Foss Road, directly opposite the City Transfer Station. This is the first of several steps to transform the undeveloped 300-acre former landfill area into a first-rate City Park. Eventually, the City Park will include creation of several recreational facilities such as three or more permanent hardball and softball fields, a sliding hill, fishing pond, skating area, hiking trails, children's play area, other recreational facilities, and parking.

The field has lain fallow since the 1980's and was used only for haying. Over the years, the several feet of clay atop the old landfill had settled and become uneven. It could not be used in that condition for recreation. An added need was to restore the field with a graded surface to provide for proper drainage.

Creating the practice field began on June 21, 2005 when City forces from the Department of Public Works started tilling the field and stripping the topsoil from the old field. Thousands of cubic yards of topsoil were stripped with a large bulldozer, rented for that operation, and then screened through a large rotating screen, also rented for the project. Once the topsoil was removed and stockpiled, additional clay was placed on the cap and the surface re-graded. Topsoil, supplemented by additional material purchased to offset the deficit, was then replaced, fine graded, and fine raked before being seeded by the Parks and Recreation Department. The seed mixture used produced a catch of grass in less than a week. Work was completed about the end of August.

The simplified verbal description above does not adequately describe the magnitude of work and effort put forth by City Department of Public Works forces to accomplish this project. This was, indeed, a major construction project worthy of any major first-rate construction company.

We invite the public to come and see the finished product. The Saco Parks and Recreation Department will maintain the field and it will be ready for use next spring. City personnel are to be commended for a job well done.