East Irondequoit CSD 2019 Capital Improvement Plan – Phase 2 Site Work
Overcoming Site Challenges to Design an Award-Winning Turf Softball Field
As part of the East Irondequoit Central School District’s 2019 Capital Improvement Plan, LaBella designed a 1-acre turf softball field featuring several amenities, including fencing, ball netting, batting cages, bullpens, bleachers, a water bottle filling station, green infrastructure, and ADA-accessible concrete walkways.
The softball field’s location presented several challenges during the design phase. The shallow groundwater table made it impossible to place the new turf field at the same elevation as the existing field without affecting the groundwater table. To address this, LaBella designed the new softball field to sit approximately 3-feet above the existing grade. Retaining walls were constructed around the entire field while ensuring ADA access to the existing dugouts. This 3-foot elevation provided enough vertical space for effective field drainage and the integration of green infrastructure into the proposed design.
The field’s proximity to the adjacent bus facility posed another challenge. Previously, there were no protections to prevent foul balls from hitting the District’s bus fleet. To resolve this issue, LaBella installed 20-foot-tall ball netting between the field and the bus facility to catch errant foul balls. The netting was integrated with the proposed chain link fence for a more aesthetically pleasing design. Additionally, the ball netting enhanced pedestrian safety by shielding District staff from potential hazards while traversing the parking lot.
