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Sonoma Valley Athletic Field Replacement Awarded Parks and Recreation Project of the Year by ASCE

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) San Francisco Section has honored Brelje & Race with Project of the Year in the Parks and Recreation category for the Sonoma Valley High School Athletic Field Replacement project.

This project represents a radical transformation for Sonoma Valley High School. Before, an outmoded track and field facility forced major school events and varsity games to take place off site. Now, with the addition of this new $15.2 million, 17-acre sports complex, students can enjoy an 8-lane all-weather track; synthetic turf soccer and football field; new bleachers and viewing area with a capacity of 1,300; new grass turf baseball and softball fields; new asphalt basketball courts and a new building to house team rooms, storage, restrooms, ticket sales, and concessions.

Working in close collaboration with Quattrocchi Kwok Architects, the project architect and lead design consultant, Brelje & Race provided topographic survey and civil engineering design services for the project. Civil improvements designed by Brelje & Race include layout, grading and drainage features for the synthetic turf field; wet utility infrastructure for the new building; Low Impact Development (LID) features to detain, treat, and infiltrate stormwater runoff; and improvements to provide an ADA compliant path of travel to the new facilities from the adjoining parking area. Safety improvements include new fire lines and a fire hydrant and emergency vehicle access at Denmark Street. Special attention was paid to avoid impacting protected riparian habitat along Nathanson Creek, which runs adjacent to the project site. The addition of an artificial turf field and conversion of landscape irrigation from potable water to recycled water is estimated to conserve more than 4 million gallons of potable water per year. This project exemplifies how engineering design can respond to site hydrology and better utilize scarce water resources, achieving a superior outcome for users of the facility and the overall community.

Despite the challenges of completing design and construction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was completed ahead of schedule. This early completion allowed the new facility to make its public debut as the venue for the graduation ceremonies for the class of 2021.

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