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New Bronxville BOE Plan Calls For Hayes Field Reorientation

EASTCHESTER, N.Y. – With a lack of local field space for recreational athletics continuing to plague both students and residents of Bronxville, the Board of Education will look to remedy the issue with another special election.

An overhead view of the new Bronxville Board of Education proposal for Hayes Field.

An overhead view of the new Bronxville Board of Education proposal for Hayes Field.

Photo Credit: Bronxville Board of Education

Bronxville voters will have a second shot at approving a synthetic turf playing surface at Hayes Field in May, after the initial proposal was narrowly rejected by voters at the first special election in January.

Since the rejection, the public and members of the Board of Education have been vocal in their desire for a second vote, crowding regularly scheduled board and budget meetings to discuss the importance of installing the field.

Board President Denise Tormey noted some confusion about the original plan may have led to the 470-452 defeat of the proposal.

“We are certainly pleased with the dialogues that have taken place in these recent months and the clarity that has been defined for those who had lingering concerns about the prior project,” she said. 

Under the scope of the updated plan - the cost has been reduced by $400,000 for a total of approximately $1.8 million overall – the focus at Hayes Field will be on “only reorientation, surface and related components.” There will be no permanent parking, increasing savings. 

“A number of questions focused on storm water management, a topic that has been addressed by the district’s architect, who detailed the self-contained drainage-storm water management system that is engineered into synthetic surface systems,” Tormey added. 

A lack of field space in the village is something officials have been struggling with for years. By reorienting Hayes Field, it can be expanded to regulation size, allowing for more playing hours on the artificial surface. 

According to district officials, if the plan is approved, the new field will provide “more than six times the number of available hours for fall sports and more than double the hours for spring sports will be realized.” 

“We have come full circle in terms of the analysis and input,” Bronxville Superintendent David Quattrone said. "To no one’s surprise or disagreement, we have an acute lack of field inventory and an enormous demand for field use.

“When we again examined just how much more we could do for our students and our community by reorienting Hayes Field and making it a synthetic surface, it was this administration’s strong recommendation to the board to move forward with the plan.’ 

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