At its October meeting, the Bronxville Board of Education continued its review of possible ways to expand field use for interscholastic athletics. In September a special session focused on the feasibility of installing lights on Chambers Field -- an option that generated strong feelings both for and against the proposition. Board President David Brashear framed the issue in his opening remarks:
I believe our special workshop related to the possibility of lighting Chambers Field was highly productive. The community input at that meeting was both respectful and informative . . . We are continuing to exhaustively all opportunities for expanding the number of field hours available to our athletic teams . . . we are working to identify every possible playing site, and the tradeoffs associated with each . . . We are in a process, and the deliberate approach we are taking will require some time. We are not yet at any decision points.
At the October meeting the focus was on other options:
- Reconfiguring field space on Hayes field in order to gain flexibility and a higher quality playing surface
- Maximizing use of Upper Scout Field, pending planned improvements
- Increasing use of Haindl Field in Eastchester, which already has lights
- Exploring other off-site possibilities with neighboring municipalities and institutions.
Athletic Director Karen Peterson described the estimated costs and potential advantages of each option, and her presentation is
here. The Board raised questions about the proposed flood mitigation project as it is integrally tied to redesigning current field space.At the close of the meeting there were several comments, reflecting varying points of view on the lighting option and raising questions about possible funding sources.
