Salina redraws Matson Field dugout plan after a field user suggests a cheaper design

Salina Parks and Recreation has pulled back its original plan for new dugouts at Matson Field and will pursue a different design suggested by a member of the public, interim director Brett Lamer told the city's Parks and Recreation Advisory Board on Wednesday.

Matson Field was regraded and covered with new turf, and a new scoreboard has been installed, but the dugouts are currently bare concrete slabs. Lamer said a field user the department invited to review the project proposed a way to build the dugouts for less money and with a look that better matches the rest of the facility. He said the group has offered the city use of its architect's stamped drawings, which he said should save money and speed up the work. Lamer said the department had planned to put the original plan on a meeting agenda but pulled it on Monday.

Lamer said the goal is still to finish the dugouts before the spring season. The board's September minutes said staff hoped to complete them by late March or April 1.

In another project update, staff said the city's concrete contractor moved a fuel tank that had crowded the storage area between the two park shops at Oakdale Park and plans to pour concrete there next week before moving on to Indian Rock.