By Carol P. Bartold     

Oct. 21, 2015:  A revised construction timeline for The Bronxville School's auditorium calls for a completion date that will allow the construction contractor to move into the punch list phase by October 31. The punch list will address the final details that must be completed to satisfy the terms of the contract. 

Assistant Superintendent for Business Dan Carlin reported to the Bronxville Board of Education at its October 15 meeting that the administration will meet with both the surety and the completion contractor this week to determine if the October 31 date is achievable. 

"At this point," Carlin said, "we're anticipating that the fall high school play can be in the auditorium in November." 

Carlin also reported that, on the Hayes Field reconfiguration and turf project, the facilities committee is awaiting a joint proposal from the project engineer, landscape architects Abel Bainnson Butz LLP, and district architect KG&D Architects. Carlin said he expects to receive the proposal this week. 

The facilities committee has called for a joint proposal from the two entities to avoid overlap and prevent omissions. 

Board trustee Tom Nichols reported, on behalf of the safety committee, that the district has implemented a policy that closes the Chambers Field track to everyone except students, teachers, and coaches during school activities such as recess and physical education classes, after-school activities, and team practices. 

"Security guards are actively asking folks to come either earlier or later for their activities," Nichols said. 

Superintendent Dr. David Quattrone noted that new signs have been installed to notify the public of restricted access to the track during school hours and activities. 

Of continuing concern to the safety committee are traffic situations at drop-off and pick-up times that lie outside the committee's jurisdiction. 

Parents who travel southbound on Pondfield Road to drop their children off at the school in the morning often allow children to step into traffic to cross the street rather than have them cross at Meadow Avenue, where a security guard guides children across the street, or at the controlled intersection at Pondfield and Midland Avenue. Some parents traveling south on Pondfield make U-turns in front of the school so that children do not have to cross the street to get to the school. 

Jaywalking also presents a concern to elementary school parents who exit the parking lot on Midland Avenue after dropping their children off. While their only option is to turn right onto Midland, they can make an almost immediate left turn onto Library Lane to effect a left turn onto Midland. Students and parents tend to cross Midland between Library Lane and Pondfield Road, often running out into the street from in front of SUVs waiting to turn left onto Library Lane, unable to be seen by drivers exiting the elementary school parking lot. 

Although the intersection of Pondfield Road and Midland Avenue is controlled by a traffic signal, there is no walk/don't walk signal that would guide pedestrians across the streets. Mayor Mary Marvin, at the October 13 Bronxville Board of Trustees meeting, noted that the village is awaiting a traffic engineering report with suggestions that will address pedestrian safety and traffic flow through the intersection. 

The Bronxville Board of Education will meet on Thursday, November 19, at 7:00 pm in the school's multipurpose room.

Pictured here:  Exterior of The Bronxville School's renovated and expanded auditorium, soon to be completed and open for use.

Photo by A. Warner