ADAMS TWP — A pair of new softball fields could be coming to the Mars School District next year.

Interim Superintendent William Pettigrew at Tuesday night’s school board meeting recommended that the district not revamp the existing fields at the primary center as has been discussed by the board.

Pettigrew said there is no room for expansion there because of the two maintenance buildings and the parking lot that surrounds the fields. He said spending $350,000 to $400,000 to upgrade the fields would be a waste of money without room to expand.

“I just don’t think that site is conducive for girls softball fields,” Pettigrew said.

He proposed that a landscape architect be hired to look at all of the property owned by the district and give a recommendation for an alternate site for the fields.

Board President Dayle Ferguson said the board agrees that after much discussion on the condition of the fields that something should finally be done.

She said a professional analysis would provide valuable information.

“I think that would be a good next step,” she said.

Board member Bonnie Weaver said the architect should be told that the fields should not be placed close to any of the district’s five schools that would preclude expansion of the buildings.

She also said the fields should have a water source.

Weaver recommended that the Mars Youth Baseball Association be told of this plan since that group has expressed a willingness to raise funds for lights and a concession stand at the existing field.

“We owe it to them,” Weaver said.

Ferguson said that if the district made an investment in new fields, they would certainly be shared by the community.

Pettigrew said he has a landscape architect in mind who served as a consultant on a project at the football field. The board held off voting until Pettigrew could contact the architect.

Pettigrew said the cost for two new fields would range from $400,000 to $500,000. He said funds remaining from bond issues, which must be used for capital improvements, would pay for the fields.

He said the new fields could be ready by August if the process goes smoothly.

The school board could vote on the project in January.