Mar. 26, 2014:  Flood mitigation plans for The Bronxville School, designed to relieve flooding of the magnitude that plagued the school and neighboring properties with upwards of $28 million in damages over the past seven years, has moved a step closer to becoming reality.

The Bronxville Board of Education, at its March 20 meeting, heard details of the flood mitigation project, a joint endeavor of the school district and the Village of Bronxville, to receive funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA will provide $5.1 million in funding for the $6.8 million project. The village and the school district will each fund $850,000 of the remaining $1.7 million cost.

"This project is a window of opportunity for the district to make significant inroads in our flood mitigation efforts at a minimal cost to the district," stated Superintendent Dr. David Quattrone. He pointed out that, with changing federal priorities since Superstorm Sandy, the project probably would not receive funding from FEMA today.

Paul Pelusio, engineer with J. Robert Folchetti & Associates, and Erik Wilson, associate principal with KG&D Architects, presented the project's design, construction, and field restoration plans.

Pelusio explained that flooding occurs at the school when a storm causes the Bronx River to rise to an elevation higher than the main trunk lines that currently carry stormwater runoff. When this backwater effect limits the amount of runoff that the pipes can carry, the runoff accumulates as floodwaters on the school property, the lowest point in the Midland Valley Drainage Basin.

Designed to eliminate the backwater effect, the flood mitigation project consists of four components that will work in concert to accumulate potential runoff and control the timing of its delivery to the Bronx River and away from school property:

• Two flow diversion structures

• A stormwater pump station

• A stormwater storage system

• Force main piping

The flow diversion structures will alleviate backwater flooding by redirecting water from the existing main trunk lines to a stormwater pump station consisting of an underground concrete wet well and four diesel-powered pumps mounted in a pump house to be constructed near Midland Avenue in the current auxiliary parking lot. 

The stormwater storage system, a network of hydraulically controlled pipes, to be installed underground on the school athletic field (Hayes Field), will be connected to the pump station and operate in concert with the pump station to store and control the rate of discharge into two force main pipes that will carry runoff to the river.

The force main pipes will extend from the pumping station across the school's present auxiliary parking lot and cross Midland Avenue to the Bronxville Public Library property. Pipes will continue on a route across the library property, cross Pondfield Road, and extend through the village hall property to Palumbo Place. The force main route will follow Palumbo Place to Laurel Brook, where the pipes will discharge runoff into a storm drainage channel extending to Laurel Brook, which drains into the Bronx River.

Pelusio estimates preliminary design completion by April, final design document completion by August, and the following construction schedule:

• August to October 2014:  Solicit project bids

• October 2014:  Award contracts

• October 2014 to January 2015:  Install force main piping from Laurel Brook to Midland Avenue

• December 2014 to April 2015:  Construct stormwater storage system below Hayes Field after conclusion of fall sports season. Hayes Field will not be available for spring sports during this time.

• March to July 2015:  Construct stormwater pump station

• May to September 2015:  Restore Hayes Field

• June to August 2015:  Install force main piping on north side of Midland Avenue to pump station

• September 19, 2015:  Complete construction

According to Erik Wilson of KG&D Architects, the reconfigured Hayes Field will become a turf multipurpose playing field that will provide room for bleachers and a new turf practice area. The new field will be regulation size for field hockey as well as boys' lacrosse. The turf practice area will accommodate other sports, including football.

"It allows for games to be played on this space in a way that games are not being played there right now," noted David Brashear, board president. He pointed out that the new configuration does not give the school additional field space.

The new Hayes Field design will not affect the current elementary school playground or eliminate parking. The plan proposes to relocate auxiliary parking to a new 24-space lot on Meadow Avenue, which will allow expansion of the paved play area contiguous to the existing playground.

Still to be determined are a timeline for placing the $850,000 district share of the project on a ballot and costs for Hayes Field restoration, estimated at $1.2 to $1.5 million.

Pictured here (L to R):  Denise Tormey, vice president of the Bronxville Board of Education, David Brashear, board president, and board members Ruth Wood and Pierre de Saint Phalle.

Photo by Carol P. Bartold