Field work at Hillview Middle School begins on September 6

The athletic field and track at Hillview Middle School, located at 1100 Elder Avenue in Menlo Park, will be replaced beginning on Tuesday, September 6, 2022.

Originally installed in 2013, the synthetic field is now beyond its useful life expectancy and warranty period, and the district and community have expressed interest in replacing the existing crumb rubber infill with an ecofriendly and safe alternative product. In addition, the surrounding track will be resurfaced.

During May-June 2022, the Board conducted a public discussion of the project and made turf and infill options available for public review. As the district and city of Menlo Park have a joint use agreement for this field, Hillview and City staff have reviewed the field activities and striping plan.

When making decisions about replacement products, the Board focused on enhancing player safety as well as sustainability features with respect to natural materials used and recycling programs. The new infill product will be a sand and olive core mix.

ProGrass West will perform the field work using AstroTurf, and Benyon Sport Services will complete the track work. RGM Kramer, Inc. serves as the project manager. The total cost of the project is $1,443,894, with the City of Menlo Park expected to cover half of the cost.

The project will begin Tuesday, September 6 and is slated to conclude by October 31, 2022. During that time, construction can be expected Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Deliveries will be scheduled to avoid student drop-off and pick-up times, and no road closures or traffic impact is expected on the surrounding roads. The Elder Avenue entrance will be used, with no deliveries or construction impact on Santa Cruz Avenue.

During this time, Hillview has planned alternate physical education activities utilizing the gym, greentop areas, and PAC. During break and lunch times, students will have access to intramural sports in the gym and a variety of other activities in the PAC. Sports like flag football that typically use the field after school will be located at other area fields during this time.

The district thanks the community for its continued support and looks forward to providing a new, enhanced, more comfortable field and track experience with limited environmental impact.