Written by Mary C. Marvin



Nov. 5, 2014: The Kensington Road development began in earnest on Friday as the first two truckloads of soil left the site. The village administrator and police chief followed the trucks to confirm they followed the prescribed route as outlined in the construction plan.

After years of planning, federal, state, and local planning approvals and executed agreements with all utilities as well as Metro-North, and, most important, negotiations for safeguards for neighborhood residents and institutions, the trucks represented the tangible culmination.

The plans, signoffs, and approvals required before a shovel could break the ground were staggering in volume and complexity, but upon reflection, quite necessary and reassuring, encompassing air quality, vibration calculation, and noise and pedestrian safety, just to name a few.

As illustration, because the property is a verified Brownfields site, the remediation plan had to be approved by both the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health.

A key component of the approval was the requirement of daily on-site monitoring of air quality and, when applicable, vibration effects, as well as the procedures for contaminant soil removal--data that is then sent directly to the DEC for evaluation.

In addition, all companies involved in the handling of contaminated product had to be pre-authorized by the DEC. As it should be, there seems to be a required plan for everything! Despite these efforts, know that village management will be monitoring the project carefully to ensure compliance and that any unforeseen problems will be addressed promptly and safely.

Blasting

A specialized engineer prepared a pre-blast survey of all properties within 100 feet of the site as well as a blasting plan with clear and concise comprehensive guidelines for adjacent property protections and safeguards. The standards had to meet all those promulgated by the DEC, Bronxville Village, and Metro-North. (As a further safeguard, the prized Christ Church organ will be sealed up and the developer will supply a music/sound system at a personal cost of $70,000 for the duration of the project.)

Air Quality

In addition to meeting all the standards required by the New York State Department of Transportation and the daily air quality monitoring required by the DEC, the developer has agreed to added safeguards including:

• Secure covers on all trucks removing soil

• A controlled low speed of said trucks to reduce dust suspension

• Periodic washing of all exposed surface and/or temporary seeding or gravel overlay of soil to eliminate wind-driven dust

• Regularized tire-cleaning procedures to reduce tracking of materials on village streets (including tire-washing station and tracking pad)

• No queuing or idling of trucks

• The contaminants are thankfully of such a benign nature that the DEC required the immediate workers to wear no protective clothing, only a face mask due to the dust disruption.

As with the seismographic vibration monitoring, if the particulate matter numbers should exceed acceptable levels, the operation will be immediately shut down. 

Ancillary Protocols

• Work may only be undertaken during the hours of 8:00 am and 6:00 pm as outlined in the village code.

• All construction workers will park on-site at the onset of the project. As work progresses, the developer will adhere to a remote site parking plan, impacting no village streets.

• Due to the necessary ground/soil disruption, the developer will comply with a strict vermin control/eradication plan.

• As a deserved collateral benefit of the project, nearby residents' power lines as well as those on adjacent Kensington Road will be buried with those of the development. In the interim, a lighting system will be installed to safely illuminate Kensington Road.

• The developer will also construct temporary sidewalks and crosswalks as deemed necessary for safety by our police department.

As a final recap, the project duration includes the initial ten weeks of soil remediation followed by six weeks of rock removal. The underground garage will be ready for village occupancy in six months and the entire project completed in 24 months.

A prospective three-week schedule of activities on-site is available on the village's website so nearby neighbors can plan accordingly. Everyone at village hall is deeply grateful for the patience, understanding, and tolerance exhibited by all those impacted by the project. Thank you.