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After hearing the outcry from parents and students after the proposition was rejected by 18 voters in the first election, the Bronxville Board of Education determined that a revised version of the plan should be put back up to vote in May.
The new proposal, which came in $400,000 cheaper than the original, features no alterations to the present building and will provide an environmentally friendly playing surface, an issue that has plagued the district for years. Permanent parking has also been removed from the plan, lowering costs further.
Under the amended plan, the field would also be reconfigured to run east to west and expanded to offer further utility for school and athletic programs. If approved, the total cost of the project should come in well under $2 million.
“If properly engineered and constructed, synthetic turf fields should pose no risk of negative impacts due to water infiltration,” members of the board noted. “We believe Chambers Field is a great example of a well-engineered solution. Comparing the condition of Chambers versus Hayes after recent heavy rains demonstrates that natural surface field runoff can pose significant challenges. “
For more than two years, the Board of Education has been actively studying the notion of resurfacing and reorienting Hayes Field. In January, voters went to the polls to vote on a pair of proposition in a special election, overwhelming passing a flood mitigation plan 868-55, but the synthetic playing surface failed, 470-452.
Since the vote failed, parents and students have been vocal in their support of a second vote, feeling that the public may not have been entirely educated enough about the merits of the synthetic field.
Now their request will be granted, with a vote set for Tuesday, May 19.
Board of Education President Denise Tormey has noted that the plan is critical for the village and school district.
“It is my personal hope that the flood mitigation project will go a long way toward keeping Hayes Field above water, and that a reconfigured, brand-new synthetic field will revitalize Hates Field into a resource that our children will enjoy for years to come.”
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