DATE: November 18, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
FROM: Parks and Recreation Department
TITLE: IDENTIFICATION OF HOME FIELD FOR POP WARNER AND ANALYSIS OF INSTALLING SYNTHETIC TURF FIELDS
RECOMMENDATION
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Staff recommends that the City Council prioritize football and rugby at Supul Park at El Corazon; identify the park as the home field for Pop Warner; and consider the installation of synthetic turf as part of the construction of Supul Park.
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BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
On August 19, City Council directed staff to evaluate and return with recommendations to prioritize the athletic fields at Supul Park in El Corazon and to look at other parks as the permanent home fields for Oceanside Pop Warner football and Thunder Rugby, including dedicated on-site storage to support operations. City Council further directed staff to evaluate the feasibility, sustainability, and costs of installing synthetic turf at Supul Park and other sites to support their prioritized use as the permanent home fields for Oceanside Pop Warner and Thunder Rugby, and to explore other options, including a full analysis using natural turf.
Staff from Parks and Recreation, Engineering, and Public Works analyzed the possibility of using natural turf or synthetic turf at Supul Park to support football and rugby practices and games. Staff also considered other locations that could support football and rugby with the installation of synthetic turf, and determined that Martin Luther King, Jr. Park offered the best alternative to Supul Park. Staff analyzed the improvements required to make MLK Park a viable option to host football and rugby competitions on natural turf, including installing goal posts; however, these improvements would not meet the needs of Oceanside Pop Warner to host their games on City fields.
Considerations for Synthetic Turf Fields
The City of Oceanside currently has no synthetic turf fields; however, the City has access to operate Parks and Recreation programs on the synthetic fields at El Camino and Oceanside High School. These fields cannot be permitted to third-party organizations so the Joint Use Agreement with the Oceanside Unified School District does not allow the City to permit Pop Warner at these sites. Pop Warner is able to rent these sites directly from the District but at considerable cost.
There are a handful of California cities that have enacted total or partial bans of synthetic turf including Millbrae, San Marino, Carmel-by-the-sea, and Redondo Beach. The Cities of El Cajon, Del Mar, and Solana Beach are the only other cities in San Diego County that do not have City-owned and operated synthetic turf athletic fields. To staff’s knowledge, there are currently no cities in the County considering projects to transition from synthetic to natural turf fields and the installation of new synthetic turf fields continues (e.g., the recent replacement of synthetic turf fields at Poinsettia Park in Carlsbad).
Staff recommends using the Pivot System that is manufactured by TenCate (Attachment #1). One of the concerns raised about synthetic turf is the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are often referred to as forever chemicals (Attachment #2). The TenCate Pivot System does not have added PFAS (Attachment #3), which should mitigate some of the concern regarding health and environmental impacts. It is important to note that natural turf contains PFAS from biosolids and the fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides that are required to ensure proper maintenance of natural turf fields (Attachment #4). The Department of Toxic Substances Control acknowledged that the Synthetic Turf Council stated that its member manufacturers were proactively engaging with their component and raw material suppliers to ensure that none of their products contain PFAS-based ingredients, including polymeric PFAS processing aids.
The TenCate Pivot System does not require infill, which provides several health and operational advantages. Concerns about synthetic turf have centered on the use of infill that is manufactured from recycled tires; however, there have been improvements in the production of crumb rubber as well as organic options such as infill made from walnut shells or coconut husks. The elimination of infill significantly reduces the maintenance costs because the Tencate Pivot System does not require regular grooming and redistribution or replacement of displaced infill.
One of the criticisms of synthetic turf is that it is hotter than natural turf. The TenCate Pivot System does not have infill, which reduces the temperature of the synthetic turf. The system uses aragonite, a low-density porous inorganic calcium carbonite mineral that is formed and continually renewed in shallow sea beds, rather than a sand ballast, which reduces the surface temperature. The California Interscholastic Federation and Pop Warner use heat index and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) guidelines to determine whether practices and games need to be adjusted or cancelled. If there are concerns about the temperature of the synthetic turf there will likely be corresponding concerns about the ambient temperature, which will require that user groups consider adjusting schedules or cancelling games and practices.
Another criticism of synthetic turf is that it contributes to a higher rate of soft tissue, foot, ankle, and knee injuries. The TenCate Pivot System includes thinner fibers and significantly more blades than other synthetic products to mimic natural turf in the support, give, and grip to help reduce the risk of injuries.
The TenCate Pivot System has a 12-year warranty, which is significantly longer than traditional synthetic turf. The system uses an attenuation pad and more blades under the synthetic surface instead of the infill. Staff analyzed the cost of synthetic turf over a 24-year period because the attenuation pad has a 25-year warranty so the cost of replacement after approximately 12 years will be less than the initial installation.
The TenCate Pivot System has been installed in 84 fields in California, including the City of Carlsbad, San Marcos Unified School District, and the City of Santee. The most recent local project was at Poinsettia Community Park where TenCate was used to replace an existing synthetic turf.
Consideration for Natural Turf Fields
Natural turf fields require extensive maintenance to ensure that fields are safe and meet our standards for an acceptable playable field. The annual field maintenance schedule includes aeration (March), slice aeration and fertilization (April), hollow tine aeration, overseed, and top dress (June), fertilization (July), slice aeration and fertilization (August), fertilization (September), slice aeration and fertilization (October), aeration and fertilization (December).
Oceanside athletic fields are closed for 12-weeks during the summer for renovation and throughout the month of December for rest. These closures are coordinated with all user groups, and are scheduled to optimize the establishment of the natural turf when ground temperature is above 70℉. The efficacy of these closures can be compromised because while the fields are closed, they are not fenced so the fields are accessed by passive and unpermitted users. In addition to planned closures, Oceanside athletic fields are subject to unplanned closures during rain events where there is at least one-quarter inch of rain. Athletic fields are closed a minimum of one day after the conclusion of rain events, forcing permitted users to cancel practices and competitions/games. New natural turf athletic fields at Supul Park would be subject to these planned and unplanned closures. Oceanside sports organizations have reported working to secure permits on synthetic fields in neighboring jurisdictions when Oceanside fields are closed due to rain or during our planned closures.
The best management practice for maintaining sand-based, natural grass athletic fields dictates that the maximum practical target for natural turf use for each field is 25 hours per week. This is based on a well-designed sand-based field with excellent drainage.
Based on the experience managing the fields at SoCal and given that clay does not provide for good infiltration and aeration, it is anticipated that the maximum practical target for each field would 18 hours per week.
The City currently lacks the ability to limit access to fields. Therefore, staff recommends installing fencing to ensure that the natural turf fields do not exceed the maximum practical target of use per field and to improve the efficacy of the planned closures for renovation and rest. Fencing would also limit damage to natural turf during rain events by ensuring no usage when the natural turf is saturated with water. The estimated cost of installing fencing is $600,000. The junior fields in the Civic Greens area would remain accessible for passive and unpermitted community use. If MLK remains the homefield for football and rugby, staff also recommends that the multi-purpose fields be fenced to help manage usage and impact on the natural turf. The cost of installing fencing at MLK is $750,000.
In addition to fencing, staff recommends that prioritizing football and rugby at MLK park include improvements to the natural turf fields, including removal of the existing natural turf, re-grading and laser leveling the fields, improvements to the irrigation system, and installation of new natural turf.
Football produces concentrated wear between the hash marks, goal lines, around the 20-yard lines, sidelines, entrances/exits, and practice drill areas. Some of the recommendations for high-use natural turf that deviate from existing maintenance practices include, overseeding high traffic football areas after games; mowing twice-weekly during the athletic season with more frequent mowing during peak growth/heavy use; four to six aeration events annually for heavily trafficked sports fields and deeper/tighter-tine cultivation. One issue anticipated at Supul is that clay cannot be aerated when the soil is too wet or excessively dry, complicating the ability to aerate more frequently. In addition to bi-annual renovations, staff recommends that the natural turf fields be replaced at the same cadence as synthetic fields.
Programming Impact
In recent years, changes in the national Pop Warner calendar have created a conflict with the City’s summer maintenance schedule. Staff have worked with Oceanside Pop Warner to identify alternate fields during their initial practices, including the City fields at SoCal and Oceanside Unified School District sites.
Pop Warner currently uses the multi-purpose fields at MLK (east side of the park) and the multi-purpose field between ballfields 2 and 3 (west side of the park). The two ballfields on the west side of the park cannot be used when the multi-purpose field is used by Pop Warner. This has become an issue as baseball and softball needs have increased during the fall. The City has continued to prioritize Pop Warner since they have long-standing use of the site; however, this has impacted Oceanside National Little League and other baseball clubs.
The joint use agreement with Oceanside Unified School District expanded access to multi-purpose fields such that unmet demand for City athletic facilities is predominantly for ballfields. Shifting Pop Warner operations to Supul Park will add the two multi-purpose fields at Martin Luther King Jr. Park to the City’s inventory; however, the more significant impact will be that the two ballfields on the west side of the park will be able to be permitted for baseball and softball throughout the year.
Recent Pop Warner Communications
Recently, representatives from Pop Warner have indicated that installation of synthetic turf and goal posts at Supul Park is the only option that will satisfy their need to host games on City fields. Although installation of synthetic turf and goal posts at MLK Park would make it possible to host football and rugby games, representatives from Oceanside Pop Warner have stated that this option will not meet their needs. While the installation of goals posts at Supul would initially make that site viable to host games with natural turf, the condition of the soil and challenges to maintain natural turf at that site complicate the long-term viability of Supul as a home field for football and rugby competitions. MLK park could serve as a home field for football and rugby if the existing natural turf is removed, the site regraded, new sod is installed, and fencing is installed around the perimeter of the multi-purpose field to limit usage to permitted groups.
Regulatory Considerations
On July 30, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its evaluation of various synthetic athletic fields, and concluded that young children are not at risk from exposure to lead in these fields (Attachment #5). On May 31, 2013, DeWane Ray, Assistant Executive Director of the Hazard Identification and Reduction of the CPSC generally affirmed the conclusions of the report and declined to disseminate any warnings about exposure to artificial turf (Attachment #6).
In February 2016, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR), and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) launched the Federal Research Action Plan (FRAP) on Recycled Tire Crumb Used on Playing Fields and Playgrounds. Part 1 results were released on July 25, 2019 (Volume 1 - Attachment #7, Volume 2 - Attachment #8) and Part 2 results were released in April 16, 2024 (Volume 1 - Attachment #9, Volume 2 - Attachment #10). The findings support the conclusion that although chemicals are present in the tire crumb rubber and exposures can occur, they are likely limited.
More recently, on March 5, 2026, the State of California released a comprehensive study conducted by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) on synthetic turf (Attachment #11). The study was initiated in 2025 and found no significant health risks to players, coaches, referees and spectators from on-field or off-field exposure to chemicals in crumb rubber infill from synthetic turf fields. The study focused on acute inhalation toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, sensory irritation, general chronic toxicity, and lifetime cancer risk. Ultimately, the study did not find any chemical exposures associated with the turf fields that would pose immediate health hazards. The study found that use of synthetic turf fields does not pose hazardous levels of exposure to sensory irritants, and most exposure on the fields comes from chemicals in the ambient air that originate elsewhere.
Climate Action Plan Goal Considerations
The installation of synthetic turf could help the City meet measures identified in the Climate Action Plan.
Measure W-1 addresses reducing per-capita water consumption in the City by 6% by 2030. The current infrastructure does not allow for the use of recycled water at El Corazon. Based on the similar microclimate between Supul Park at El Corazon and Martin Luther King Jr. Park, it is anticipated that the installation of synthetic turf at Supul Park would save 2.9 million gallons of water per year, and 69.5 million gallons of water over 24 years. The manufacturer of Tencate Pivot System recommends limiting the amount of water applied to the field, and does not recommend watering to mitigate heat. A limited amount of water would be used to clean the fields on an as needed basis.
Measure TR-5 addresses the transition of non-road and landscaping equipment to electric and renewable fuel. Natural turf requires mowing, edging, aeration, fertilization, overseeding, turf renovation, and other maintenance that requires landscape equipment. Synthetic turf would eliminate or substantially reduce several of those activities and has the potential to reduce the operating hours of landscaping equipment associated with athletic field maintenance, which would reduce emissions from landscaping equipment.
Measure SW-2 addresses continuing implementation of City recycling and solid waste programs to increase diversion beyond the 2018 baseline levels. TenCate’s recycling service offers a zero-waste process that diverts thousands of square feet of synthetic turf materials from landfills. They can process an entire end-of-life field in their Baton Rouge, LA facility. They separate the infill, and process the polymer and backing and then either mechanically recycle it, or send for advanced recycling (circular economy) through their polymer supplier. As part of the installation of the TenCate Pivot System synthetic turf at Poinsettia Community Park, the City of Carlsbad recently recycled their existing synthetic turf and infill using TenCate Recycling Solutions. Staff recommends that the City of Oceanside include the requirement to recycle synthetic turf when it is replaced.
Land Use Framework and CEQA
El Corazon is controlled by the El Corazon Specific Plan. MLK does not have a Specific Plan. The El Corazon Specific Plan makes no direct reference to the use of synthetic turf or includes a specific prohibition of such. However, the vision statement for the park references “a rural look and feel so that the park provides an escape from city life.” Additionally, it states “Grass should be focused on areas of the park that have foot traffic and are used for play surfaces. Otherwise, native and/or drought tolerant plants, and not turf grass, should be used to vegetate the site.”
The CEQA review framework for each site is different. The build out of Supul Park is guided by the previously certified PEIR for the El Corazon Specific Plan. The proposed use of synthetic turf is not inconsistent with the project analyzed under the Specific Plan’s PEIR. The PEIR or the Specific Plan do not identify synthetic turf as a prohibited use or otherwise preclude its installation. Therefore, based on the existing PEIR and the proposed improvements, the need for additional CEQA analysis is not anticipated solely as a result of utilizing synthetic turf at Supul Park.
Converting a natural turf field to a synthetic turf field at MLK Park will qualify for a Class 1 or Class 2 Exemption. CEQA Guideline Section 15301 - existing facilities applies to operation, repair, maintenance or minor alteration of existing facilities where there is negligible or no expansion of the existing use. CEQA Guideline Section 15302 - replacement or reconstruction applies when an existing facility is replaced/reconstructed on the same site and the replacement has substantially the same purpose and capacity.
FISCAL IMPACT
Staff have analyzed the installation and ongoing maintenance costs for natural and synthetic turf at Supul Park and Martin Luther King, Jr. Park. The analysis was over a 24-year period because the first replacement of synthetic turf after 12 years would not require the replacement of the attenuation pad under the synthetic turf surface. The following are engineering estimates:
|
|
Natural Turf MLK |
Synthetic Turf MLK |
Natural Turf Supul |
Synthetic Turf Supul |
|
Initial installation |
$450,000 |
$4,200,000 |
$2,200,000 |
$3,200,000 |
|
ClearVu fence installation |
$750,000 |
|
$600,000 |
|
|
Total estimated initial installation |
$1,200,000 |
$4,200,000 |
$2,800,000 |
$3,200,000 |
|
Maintenance (ongoing) |
$1,900,000 |
$175,000 |
$2,500,000 |
$144,000 |
|
Bi-annual renovations (ongoing) |
$600,000 |
|
$600,000 |
|
|
Replacement w/out pad (year 12) |
|
$2,310,000 |
|
$1,900,000 |
|
Replacement of natural turf |
$195,000 |
|
$160,000 |
|
|
Total estimated cost over 24-years |
$3,895,000 |
$6,685,000 |
$6,060,000 |
$5,244,000 |
The engineering estimate to install synthetic turf at Supul would be $1,000,000 more than was previously estimated to install natural turf and could extend the period of construction by 6 months. The staff recommendation to install fencing would increase the original engineering estimate of installing natural turf fields, thereby making the initial cost of installation of synthetic turf $400,000 more than natural turf at Supul Park. Ongoing maintenance of natural turf would be $1.2 million more than synthetic turf, making natural more expensive over the course of a 24-year period. Installing and maintaining synthetic turf at MLK Park is more expensive because the multi-purpose fields are larger than Supul Park. Whereas, the City has already allocated $2.2 million for the construction of the multi-purpose fields at Supul Park, thereby reducing the additional cost of transitioning to synthetic turf, the City would need to identify funding for the full cost of installation of synthetic turf at MLK Park.
Staff will recommend funding sources when City Council considers the award of the construction contract.
COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE REPORT
The concept plan for Supul Park (El Corazon Park Site 1) was presented to the Parks and Recreation Commission on June 8, 2023. The concept plan did not stipulate the use of synthetic turf. On May 12, 2026, the Parks and Recreation Commission regular meeting included an information item where there was a presentation about the Capital Improvement Project budget and updates on park projects, which included an update on the status of Supul Park. During the meeting, multiple Commissioners requested that the City explore the possibility of installing synthetic turf at that site. No formal action was taken by the Commission with regard to the installation of synthetic turf in the City of Oceanside.
CITY ATTORNEY’S ANALYSIS
City Attorney analysis does not apply.
end
Prepared by: Manuel Gonzalez, Parks and Recreation Director
Reviewed by: Rob O’Brien, Deputy City Manager
Submitted by: Jonathan Borrego, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Consumer Product Safety Commission Analysis and Assessment of Synthetic Turf
2. Synthetic Turf Study: Assessment of Health Risks from Exposure to Chemicals in Crumb Rubber Infill - Final Report (March 2026)