The dusty field at Thomas Jefferson Middle School has been notorious for years, the byproduct of an ill-fated trend in maintenance known as a "stone-dust surface." Now county officials are trying out the latest technology, allocating $850,000 for a contract to replace the stone-dust model with a synthetic field.

"Investing in a synthetic grass field will pay dividends to the community and the neighborhood for many years to come," said County Board Chairwoman Barbara Favola in a written statement. "This project will dramatically improve T.J.’s very popular lower field."

The county paid for three stone-dust fields in the late 1990s, one at T.J., one at Rocky Run and a third at Barcroft. Each cost between $40,000 to $50,000. County officials say the product’s manufacturer made a series of promises about how easy and inexpensive the field would be to maintain. But time has not been kind to the stone-dust fields. For years, neighborhood residents near the middle school have complained that every time a strong gust of wind blows through the area it creates a dustbowl — swirling bits of sand, dust and gravel that create respiratory hazards and compromised visibility.

"The stone-dust fields were one of those fads that came out and promised to make the world a better place," said Susan Kallash, director of communication for the parks department. "As money allows, we are renovating them."

THOMAS JEFFERSON Middle School, which borders the southern edge of the Arlington Heights neighborhood, is home to one of Arlington’s busiest centers — Thomas Jefferson Community Center. It offers a large indoor fitness center, art studios, gymnasium, track, community game room, basketball courts, tennis courts and a fitness trail. Its rectangular field is used by the middle school and includes two soccer fields, a diamond field, accessible pre-school and school-aged playgrounds. The field is also the location for the annual Arlington County Fair.

"We know grass will never stand up to the level of play at T.J.," said Juliet Hiznay, president of the Arlington Heights Civic Association. "We know that because the stone-dust was installed to address the failure of grass at that site in the first instance."

The field lighting will be replaced by "dark-sky lighting," which county officials say will provide uniform light coverage on the playing surface without glare or light spillage beyond the playing area. When they unanimously approved the allocation, County Board members pointed out that synthetic fields reduce pollution because they do not need to be mowed or fertilized. Neighborhood residents say they are pleased that the County Board recognized the issue as worthy of funding despite the $100-million budget shortfall.

"We look forward to the time when we will no longer have dustbowls swirling through the neighborhood," said Hiznay. "I and my neighbors with chronic respiratory problems can never thank you enough."

THE COUNTY currently has six synthetic fields, a technology that has grown in popularity in recent years. The contract at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center synthetic field was awarded to Pennsylvania-based ProGrass, LLC. Construction of the crumb-rubber surface is expected to begin later this fall and be finished finish in spring before the heavy demand during the summer of 2010. All the improvements will be paid for with money from pay-as-you-go capital maintenance and park bond funds.

"This proposal enjoys wide community support," said County Board member Walter Tejada. "We heard the concerns of the community, and we took them seriously."