PIGEON FORGE — The City Commission approved a plan to add artificial turf with rubber and sand to all five baseball fields at Wear Farm City Park as part of a plan to work with The Ripken Experience to improve the fields.
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The project is expected to cost about $3.7 million; the city has a fund set up with The Ripken Experience to help cover the costs.
The youth baseball facility is already operating at capacity and had asked the city to consider improvements to the ball fields at the city park and letting it use four of those fields for overflow during peak times.
City officials have said the new turf will allow the fields to drain more quickly, meaning they’ll be affected less by inclement weather.
Their agreement with The Ripken Experience would make four of the five fields available to the facility during certain hours when officials said the fields are not typically being used.
City officials also presented another option offered by AstroTurf for a different type of artificial field, but they opted to go with the rubber and sand turf because it was less expensive.
The plan will also add new bullpens and batting cages.
City commission approved the measure unanimously Monday with little discussion.
They reviewed the proposals at a workshop last week.
