photo by: City of Lawrence

A rendering of a proposed project at the city's Clinton Lake Sport Complex shows the installation of turf and other improvements to the complex's two full-sized fields and the adjoining parking lot.

City leaders have expressed interest in moving forward with a $1.5 million proposal to resurface two grass soccer fields with turf and make other improvements at the Clinton Lake Youth Sports Complex.

As part of its meeting Tuesday, the commission indicated interest in moving forward with a proposed amendment to the adopted 2022-2026 Capital Improvement Plan to include a Parks and Recreation project that would install artificial turf on the two full-sized fields at the complex. While commissioners would still need to approve a contract and other elements of the proposal at a future meeting, they expressed appreciation for the fact that rental fees for the fields are expected to cover the installation costs.

The Sporting Kaw Valley soccer league is proposing that the city move forward with the improvements sooner than the city is currently planning for in the CIP. Parks and Recreation Director Derek Rogers said it’s anticipated that rental fees paid by SKV would cover a substantial portion of the annual debt payment for the improvements, but the city would be responsible for the cost of maintaining the fields.

About 80 parents, players and others involved with SKV wrote letters supporting the proposal, which includes a contract that would give SKV primary use of the fields. Lawrence Adult Soccer League President Andrew Bentley also wrote a letter supporting the proposal and asked that the league be able to rent the fields on Sundays for its games when SKV and other tenants are not using the fields.