Written by Carol P. Bartold   

Jan. 14, 2015: Many Bronxville residents and parents who attended the Bronxville Board of Education's January 8 information session regarding the proposed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Midland Valley Drainage Project and the reconfiguration of Hayes Field as a result of that flood mitigation project registered surprise to learn that the evening's format did not provide for public comment.

The board of education designed the session to provide one-on-one in-depth answers to attendees' questions surrounding various aspects of the issues surrounding the questions on the upcoming January 22 referendum.

Residents will vote on two propositions:

• The issuance of $861,238 in tax-free bonds to fund the district's share of the cost of the flood mitigation project

• The authorization for the district to withdraw up to $2.2 million from the district-wide improvements capital reserve fund to pay for the cost of the Hayes Field reconfiguration

Four information stations, each addressing one aspect of the projects, were set up and manned by board of education members and Bronxville School staff and administration, as well as representatives from KG&D Architects, the district architect, and J. Robert Folchetti & Associates, engineering consultant for the flood mitigation project.

Attendees had the opportunity to visit the stations and discuss the flood mitigation project itself, financing of the projects, and details about play areas, athletic field use, and parking and to see samples of synthetic turf systems, turf material, and infill materials that act as "dirt" between the blades of synthetic grass.

"Tonight's presentation is based on the independent work of the presenters this evening," board member Denise Tormey said in opening the information session. "It is not based on conjecture, unsubstantiated claims and new reports, or on wishful thinking."

Superintendent Dr. David Quattrone, in his introductory remarks, reminded the assembly that both the flood mitigation project and the Hayes Field reconfiguration project have a limited window of opportunity. "We have the opportunity to leverage the grant from FEMA and solve the flooding problem now in a way that will not be available in the future," he said, noting that FEMA requirements call for completion of the project in September of 2015.

Quattrone added that "digging the hole" to install the flood mitigation system provided the school district with an opportunity to determine how to "fill the hole that best meets other needs we have."

Faced with a shortage of available field space and time on The Bronxville School's 13-acre campus, the board of education has decided to reconfigure the natural grass Hayes Field as a synthetic turf field.

Estimates from the architects show that reconfiguring Hayes Field in tandem with the flood mitigation project would realize savings of approximately $250,000 because the district would not incur site preparation costs.

Quattrone emphasized that the Hayes Field project does not require any additional tax money. The referendum, he said, asks voters to consider the question of allocating funds that already exist. "I think it would be fair to say the board believes these are the purposes for which these funds are intended," he noted.

Several attendees stated that the board of education "prevented public discussion," which didn't give the assembly the opportunity to hear others' concerns and views.

"While dispersing the crowd to information tables around the room enabled some residents to have good one-on-one discussions with individual board members," resident and school parent Gretchen Pingel said, "many people simply left frustrated, complaining that they were unable to have their questions answered as the tables were too crowded and the noise level was too high to hear well."

Dr. Quattrone pointed out that the public will have the opportunity to comment at the board of education's January 15 meeting, which will convene at 7:00 pm in the school's multipurpose room.

Pictured here: The Bronxville School.

Photo by A. Warner