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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-11-30 - Board of Trustees Special Meeting Minutes SPECIAL MEETING Board of Trustees Meeting VILLAGE OF RYE BROOK 938 King Street Rye Brook,New York Tuesday,November 30,2004 AGENDA PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE DISCUSSION: 1) REPORT AND DISCUSSION OF THE KING STREET ATHLETIC FIELDS PROJECT. BOARD: Mayor Lawrence Rand Trustee Richard Buzin Trustee Robert Harris Trustee Joan Feinstein Excused: Trustee Dean Santon STAFF: Christopher Bradbury, Village Administrator Keith Rang,Assistant to the Village Administrator Edward Beane, Esq.,Village Counsel Robert Bertolacci, Parks and Recreation Superintendent Mayor Rand called the meeting to order with the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Christopher Bradbury, Village Administrator, was called upon for the report. He began by noting that a lot of positive things have recently come about. The Arbor residents have approved the transfer of the land to the Village, as has the Blind Brook School District. The Environmental Review is well underway. The long form DEIS has been started, and the Traffic Study has been authorized and is now underway. The King Street Athletic Fields Task Force membership has been established and meetings have been held with the Commissioner of County Parks and Recreation and the County Executive. These meetings have been very positive. The $2M has been approved for this project, and the Village received approval for up to an additional $1M in connection with acceptance of a County roadway. The timetable is very positive and will work well. The Village's Consultants have been working on this project for the past two months, Board of Trustees November 30,2004 Page 1 reviewing options working off of the base plan and also looking at ways to reduce some costs. Mr. Bradbury noted that Mr. Scott Hughes, of the Thomas Group, and Mr. Dolph Rotfeld, the Village's Consultant, were both in attendance at the meeting to answer any questions that may arise. Mr. Rotfeld is working on the positioning of the drainage basin that will primarily be used for control of downstream flooding and water control for the site. They will be reviewing the project with the goal of working towards the selection of the preferred plan. Mayor Rand called upon Mr. Scott Hughes, who began his presentation by noting that a packet of documents was handed out to the Board for review. This packet contained a cliff notes version of the scope of the project. The project includes the development of a little league baseball field and a full sized soccer field that can also accommodate a full sized football field. This project will include a perimeter walkway, stairs and lighting to the parking lot, fencing associated with backstops and fencing around the perimeter of the site. It also includes a small storage facility. The scoreboard design is being reviewed, as are the 400-bleacher seats by the soccer/football field and behind the baseball field. There will be a modest number of parking spaces off of King Street, some handicapped accessible. Mr. Hughes noted that this plan when original created included the purchase of the property and sub-surface drainage. All costs and adjustments are indicated on the plan. In order to bring costs down, the toilet areas in the storage facility have been deleted, as well as the installation of the permanent scoreboard. Mr. Hughes noted that one significant change prposed, in an attempt to reduce the cost of the project, was reducing the turf area—just outside the bounds of the soccer field. This area will now be topsoil and sod. Some of the walkway around the perimeter has also been lost. A change has also been made to the surface proposed for the handicapped parking area, which will be significantly less in cost. Finally, in attempt to reduce the cost of the project even further, the consultants have reviewed an entire topsoil and sod field. Trustee Buzin questioned the use of topsoil and sod when the Legacy Grant makes it very clear that artificial turf must be used. Mr. Bradbury noted that the options that the Village was reviewing would still qualify for the Legacy Grant. The final option, without the artificial turf, is an option for the Village to consider on its own. Mayor Rand noted that the Village began the projects not knowing how much money it would receive in the way of Grants, what the alternatives would be based upon the monies received, and whether or not the Village should accept the money. Along with accepting the Legacy Grant money there are certain commitments that the Village must make to the County. The Village is now considering taking over a County road, such as Ridge Street, in exchange for funding from the County, which would not be earmarked for any particular project. The Village will not considering taking over the road in exchange for the $1M offered unless it is in pristine shape. The Village now has several options. Board of Trustees November 30,2004 Page 2 Mr. Bradbury noted that the Village also had approximately $62,000 - $63,000 that could still be received from the State in connection with other Grants. In addition, the Village had originally budgeted $800,000, of which some money has been spent, i.e.: consultant fees. Trustee Joan Feinstein noted that she looked at the project in dollars and cents weighed against the needs of the community. She requested the financials on the construction of the walking trail, to which Mr. Bradbury responded roughly $20,000. There would additional costs for landscaping around the outer perimeter of the entire trail_ In addition, maintenance must also be considered. The Village's staff would be responsible for the maintenance and care of these fields, and this should also be factored in. Robert Bertolacci, Parks and Recreation Superintendent, noted that the additional work might mean hiring additional staff. Trustee Robert Harris noted that the soccer games are played against players from other towns. He complimented The Thomas Group on the landscaping, although he felt that the $40,000 allocated for landscaping was insufficient. He noted that football requires constant practice and should require the Village to consider the turf field. He noted that one of the plans removed the electricity from the pitcher's mound which meant that generators would need to be brought in for the fields — to be used for the automatic pitching machines, etc. — this option would bring with it a sound impact that should be considered. A discussion ensued about the placement of the scoreboard. Ways to situation it and minimize the impact to the neighbors were discussed. Mr. Hughes noted that this area required additional review. Mr. Dolph Rotfeld was called upon to discuss the proposed detention basin. He noted that there were two options, with one being an underground detention basin. This area would require approximately 86,000-87,000 cubic feet of storage to provide detention and to reduce the outflow. Mr. Rotfeld noted that this detention basin might also help the school in that it could provide some of the storage that they need. Either way the school will need to address drainage when they begin their proposed construction. Mr. Rotfeld discussed underground basins versus aboveground basins in terms of effectiveness. He noted that the turf would drain into a gravel base and then the gravel base would drain into the underground detention basin. It was noted that there have been drainage problems in this area for many years. Mr. Rotfeld stated that the drainage system for the fields would greatly reduce the problems in that area. The next discussion was in regard to the proposed bathroom facilities and the costs involved. Mr. Hughes noted that the pricing was for a constructed facility. The one stall each for female and male restrooms constructed at Pine Ridge Park was over $170,000. Mayor Rand noted that a project such as the one proposed would need a sanitary facility. Mr. Bradbury noted that there were other amenities that could be added back into the Board of Trustees November 30,2004 Page 3 project once a plan is decided upon. These amenities can also be brought in over a period of time. Mayor Rand turned the discussion over to members of the community. The first person to address the Board was a resident of Hillendale. He questioned whether or not there would be a backdrop—a net—behind the goal post that would stop the ball. Mr. Hughes noted that one would be required because of the distance between the goal post and the adjacent home. The resident stated that the landscaping along Hillendale actually consists of trees that are on the homeowners' properties and not landscaping that is being added by the Village. He also agreed that the $40,000 budged for landscaping was insufficient. Also discussed was a change in elevation that would occur during construction. Mr. Hughes noted that it would be approximately three to four feet. Trustee Harris noted that the path is well within the property line of the Village's property, and the trees shown on the plans are also on Village property. Mr. Bradbury noted that soil testing has already started, especially in light of the Mercury found on the property. The tests from the composite site have come back negative. The resident directly behind the field asked for clarification of the County's involvement as far as use of the park. Mr. Bradbury noted that this has not changed. Rye Brook Recreation would control the scheduling, but the park would be open to Westchester County residents. Lighting was the next topic of discussion. It was noted that the path and stairway would be lit, but that the lighting on the path could be on a timer and shutoff at a certain time. The lighting on the stairway is a safety issue, but could also be on a timer. The Board briefly discussed the costs of replacing the Astroturf in ten to twelve years. Another resident of Hillendale addressed the Board. He asked if the fields could be moved away from the Hillendale residents — even if it was only ten to thirty feet it could make a difference. The resident questioned the timeframe for the construction of the drainage system. Mr. Rotfeld stated that it would be approximately 2-1/z months at the most, and that the four homes on Hillendale would benefit from this drainage system. The bottom of the excavation will be seven to eight feet lower than the homes. There will be erosion control, even during construction. There are very strict regulations for the construction phase. The resident to the right of the proposed field addressed the Board with a major concern. She asked for the elevation in comparison to her property. Her fear was that the underground water would be affected and cause additional flooding. Mr. Rotfeld noted that it would be taken care of. She noted that there was a concern over the noise that would be generated by these fields and asked that the fields be set closer to King Street, where there are no homes. Mr. Hughes noted that different scenarios have been looked at in an attempt to construct the baseball and soccer/football fields. Many considerations have been taken into account when coming up with the scenarios now before the Board. Board of Trustees November 30,2004 Page 4 The resident of 2 Wilton Road addressed the Board. He noted that the ball field that was constructed in Crawford Park is adjacent to his property. The team players gather on the sideline and not behind the goals, and there is a substantial amount of noise generated on the sidelines. Reorienting the fields would be a plus for the property owners adjacent to this field. He also noted that the bathrooms are a necessity and should be clearly marked so that all players know exactly where they are. He stated that he supported the lighting, but noted that the walking path would more than likely be used for other things —such as dog walking. The Board was asked to watch the escalation costs and soft costs because they could become a factor. A member of the girls' Rye Brook Softball team thanked the Village for a home field. She noted that the Astroturf would add to playing time because the players won't have to wait for the field to dry off. Trustee Feinstein noted that the school district would have a bond referendum scheduled for January 22, 2005. It was noted that the Ridge Street School field would be redone under this bond. Mr. Bradbury noted that further review would be given to the landscaping issues, along with the walkway and the lighting issues and then presented to the Board by December 14, 2004. It was also noted that this matter will also be discussed further with the School Board. Mayor Rand thanked everyone for attending the meeting, and thanked the members of the Task Force, Recreation Counsel, and Village Staff for their hard work on this project. He called for a motion to adjourn. On a motion made by Trustee Harris, and seconded by Trustee Feinstein, the meeting was adjourned. Board of Trustees November 30,2004 Page 5