MBUSD considers the construction of an addition turf field

By Diego Marcucci
Staff Writer

As Measure BB comes to an end and on-campus construction is finalized, the Manhattan Unified School District Board of Trustees looks to begin a new project of a turf field on the west side of Mira Costa.

The plan set in mind is on redoing the Meadows Avenue lot and fields with funds from the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation.

“We have been talking about improving the fields since I arrived here in 2010,” MBUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews said. “ Now we have actual plans, funding for those plans, and we are moving forward.”

This construction will open up a Junior Varsity baseball field, a regulation size soccer field, and three half court lacrosse fields with astroturf.

“We hope to be done as soon as possible, but at the very latest, we need to be done by the time our baseball and softball teams start practicing,” Matthews said. “We would hope that all work could be complete by the end of 2015.”

According to Matthews, Measure BB construction did not include the building of these fields, and have to be started when the other campus construction is finished.

“The working on the athletic fields was never part of the original bond language,” Matthews said. “It is additional work that could not be financed by the BB Bond”

According to Assistant Superintendent Dawnalyn Murakawa-Leopard, the board has to submit the field project as a new project and obtain new applications. They have to also obtain a signature from the local fire marshall because the current fire road is being moved to accommodate the new fields. Lastly, they must submit the project to the Division Of The State Architect to obtain approval to begin construction.

“We are waiting for approval from DSA for the air conditioning for MBMS and one of the buildings at MCHS, as well as all solar installations before we start this,” Matthews said.

According to Murakawa-Leopard, they hope to start building late into the summer of 2015. Although the start date of the project will depend on whether or not the approval they receive will allow them to start off the field planning and process on where they previously were in the Measure BB project. If they cannot begin from there, the construction will have to start from the beginning again.

“I think this is going to make that area of the campus so much nicer,” Dale said. “We are going to lose parking, but gain a lot of new and useful fields.”