All are invited to join the Town of Chapel Hill in celebrating new, sustainable upgrades at Cedar Falls Park athletic fields. The ribbon cutting will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23.

The Cedar Falls Park multipurpose athletic fields, which are now open for use, have new turf and lighting upgrades that create a safe and sustainable space for Chapel Hill Parks & Recreation users to play sports like soccer, lacrosse, and ultimate frisbee. Renovations took place in January and February.

During the celebration event, attendees will have an opportunity to experience the new athletic turf fields, speak with staff about the installation process and learn more about the product.  Members from the Town’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience will be on-hand to provide insight on the environmental benefits of the newly installed LED lights.

"We are very excited to provide the Chapel Hill community with such high-quality, safe, and attractive athletic fields," said Senior Manager of Park Planning Operations Kevin Robinson. "The environmental benefits are the cherry on top."

This project addresses health, safety and demand for use of the fields. The turf was replaced with a 2-inch fiber turf with padding, as well as an infill blend that is made from natural cork and premier-grade elastomers, which is environmentally friendly and engineered using all-recycled materials.

"A lot of water, fertilizer, and mowing is required to maintain regular grass on athletic fields," said Robinson. "This new turf helps us conserve all those resources while using sustainable materials."

The field lighting was replaced with LEDs, which stand for light-emitting diode. These lights are known for being energy-efficient and long-lasting. LED field lights are often used in sports arenas, as they provide bright, uniform lighting that is ideal for athletes.

The lights also use about 40% less energy than the old metal-halide bulbs while lasting much longer. The energy savings from this LED upgrade will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 28,230 pounds per year. This means that about 320 metric tons of GHG emissions will be avoided over the 25-year lifetime of the system.

Funding support for the fields was provided by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The Orange County Community Climate Action Grant Program helped fund the LED installation.

For more info about the renovation project, contact Kevin Robinson at krobinson@townofchapelhill.org, or visit our website at chapelhillparks.org.

For more info about the renovation project, contact Kevin Robinson at krobinson@townofchapelhill.org, or visit our website at www.chapelhillparks.org