The Woodlands Township approved initial plans June 19 for a new sports field complex on Gosling Road and Marsco Place, a facility that could be complete by fall 2015 and feature five new playing fields.

At its June meeting, the township board of directors approved an expenditure of about $5 million to construct the outdoor playing fields, to be used primarily for youth sports. Two of the fields will be natural grass, while three will be constructed with all-weather artificial turf.

The township board had the option of approving more, less, all or none of the fields to feature all-weather turf, at costs ranging between about $4 million and $6 million.

John Powers, the township's assistant general manager for community services, said the township commissioned a needs assessment for sports fields in 2011 and has been looking for ways to increase its number of fields because of high demand.

"Their findings and recommendations factored the then-current needs to accommodate existing sports leagues' waiting lists, the projected demand over the next five years, and [that the] future demand on build-out of The Woodlands resulted in a need for 11 new sports fields by 2015 and 15 by 2025," he said.

Powers said the township also received numerous requests from local youth sports organizations requesting additional fields. The fields at the proposed Gosling site would accommodate such field sports as soccer, field hockey, rugby and flag football.

In addition to the fields, the facility will include spectator bleachers, a 1-mile jogging track, 1.5 miles of concrete pathways, shaded areas, restrooms, playground equipment, water fountains and a pavilion.

The 29-acre site that will house the sports park was donated to the township by The Woodlands Development Company. The land is situated on a flood plain and would otherwise be unusable for commercial or residential development, Powers said.