With a Commitment to Quality, Maintenance Plans Are in Progress at Our Sports Complexes

At Cooper City’s Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex, we understand the importance of maintaining high-quality facilities for our residents and visitors. Recently, our multipurpose fields have undergone a maintenance process designed to address uneven playing surfaces. While the current conditions may not be ideal, we want to assure the community that these efforts are part of a long-term improvement plan aimed at creating a safer, more enjoyable experience for athletes and visitors.

The City recently applied a top dressing to the multipurpose fields to address uneven terrain. This process involves spreading a mixture of sand and soil over the field to level the surface. While the top dressing gives the appearance of a sandy and unkempt field, it is a critical step in promoting healthy grass growth and ensuring a smoother playing surface. Beneath the top dressing, the grass is still present and will thrive as it integrates with the improved soil composition.

“We chose this method to address the uneven playing surfaces in a sustainable way,” explained City Manager Alex Rey. “While new sod installation is a quicker fix, it would not have provided the long-term benefits of leveling the fields for enhanced playability. We are confident that this decision will pay off as the grass grows in.”

While this maintenance process plays out, the City is utilizing a compaction roller to prepare the fields prior to use. In looking ahead, the current recreational season will end in April. Once the season concludes, the multipurpose fields at Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex are scheduled to close from May 5 to August 18, 2025. This closure will provide ample time for the grass to grow and establish itself before the start of the next recreational season in August. By then, players and visitors can look forward to using fields that are not only level but also more vibrant.

The City’s Parks and Recreation Department is a bedrock of Someplace Special and we are committed to ensuring that our facilities meet and exceed expectations. “We appreciate the community’s patience as we work to improve the long-term quality of these fields,” said Stacie Weiss, Parks and Recreation Director for Cooper City. “Our priority is to provide safe, high-quality recreational spaces for all who use them, and this process is a key step toward achieving that goal.”

In addition to the improvement plan at Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex, the City Commission approved the appropriation of $600,000 to address field conditions at Bill Lips Sports Complex. The funding will be utilized to revitalize the multipurpose fields on the west side of the sports complex by fixing irrigation and completely re-sodding the fields. In order to complete this revitalization project, the west side of Bill Lips Sports Complex is scheduled to be closed from March 31 to August 18, 2025.

The City values feedback and takes all comments and concerns regarding our recreational facilities seriously. If you have any questions, please contact the City’s Public Information Officer Michael Cobelo by phone at 954-434-4300 ext. 263 or via email at MCobelo@CooperCity.gov. We understand this process is not expedient, but together, we can ensure that the multipurpose fields at Suellen H. Fardelmann Sports Complex and Bill Lips Sports Complex remain cornerstones of recreation and community pride in Cooper City.