By Carol P. Bartold

Jan. 25, 2017: The Bronxville Board of Education, at its regular meeting on January 19, heard and discussed plans for campus restoration and reconfiguration. In an update on the Federal Emergency Management (FEMA) Midland Valley Drainage Project, Dan Carlin, assistant superintendent for business, projected that disruptive construction on campus should end during February.

Carlin reported that, after some delays, drilling for the piping beneath Midland Avenue from the Bronxville Public Library campus to the elementary school parking lot is scheduled to be complete by February 12. Construction of the below-grade detention storage system at Hayes Field is ongoing and near completion.

The school plans to begin the first phase restoration work on the elementary school parking lot on February 19 and finish by March 5. According to Carlin, the lot will not be paved until April when school is not in session. However, he said, "I have asked them to roll the surface and make it compact so we can park there as soon as possible."

Carlin noted that the temporary loss of elementary school lot parking spaces has been somewhat mitigated by the installation of the temporary lot on Meadow Avenue on a space that has not been fully utilized. Superintendent Dr. David Quattrone described the temporary lot as safer because it "gets buses off the street."

Board trustee Tom Curran said that if the temporary lot accommodates the teachers, "I think it's something we should make an effort to do."

The district is also considering repurposing the former asphalt kickball area as a parking area and having students play kickball on turf, which will provide additional parking places at the elementary school.

"I appreciate the sensitivity I'm hearing from the board members about parking and the morale of teachers," said Dr. David Katz, president of the Bronxville Teachers' Association. He characterized the parking situation for teachers, many of whom must compete for street parking, as defeating. Many teachers report late to work for lack of parking and then must move their cars in the middle of the day to avoid receiving tickets. "Dealing with meters in the middle of the day is not conducive to getting work done as efficiently and positively as possible," he stated.

Restoration of Hayes Field to the "beginning point" of the project will be ongoing for the rest of January, Carlin said. The district expects complete demobilization of FEMA's presence on campus during February.

Carlin stated that the contracts for Hayes Field landscaping, bleachers, and throwing wall have been awarded to Avanti Construction Inc. of Mount Vernon. The contracts are ready for signing and Carlin expects Avanti to move onto Hayes Field shortly after the FEMA team moves out.

Pictured here:  Hayes Field before construction began and where demobilization of FEMA's presence on campus should be complete by the end of February of 2017.

Photo by A. Warner