From Grade School to Wiffleball and Traffic -- Issues in Byram

The renovation and expansion of New Lebanon School, the creation of a Wiffleball field at Byram Park, and efforts to calm traffic in the Byram neighborhood of town, were just some of the issues discussed at the Byram Neighborhood Association’s (BNA) meeting Wednesday night.

New Lebanon School Principal Barbara Riccio told the 40 residents who gathered in the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Delavan Avenue that the transition of conducting two kindergarten classes from the school to the Byram Archibald Neighborhood Center (BANC) this week was nearly seamless. The 42 students, their families and three teachers are getting accustomed to their new “cozy” surroundings that are reminiscent of “home-schooling” because of the location, Riccio said.

Because of overcrowding at New Lebanon, the Greenwich Board of Education decided earlier this year to relocate the kindergarten classes to BANC on Delavan — about two blocks from the school on Mead Avenue. To alleviate traffic congestion on the heavily-traveled conduit linking Greenwich and Port Chester, there is a designated student drop-off time for students who are driven to school, primarily using Chestnut Street, Riccio said.

And when the kindergartners are transferred to New Lebanon for lunch, arts and foreign language classes at 12:30 p.m. each day, they are bused the two blocks, thus alleviating pedestrian and traffic safety issues, Riccio said.

To allay residents’ and parents’ concern about traffic along Delavan Avenue, outgoing BNA President Mike Bocchino said that beginning the week of Sept. 8, the town’s Traffic and Engineering Department will be conducting traffic counts to help determine what pedestrian safety measures can be imposed.

Those measures, according to Bocchino, could include expanding the neighborhood’s school zone, thereby reducing the area speed limit to 20 mph; adding an addition school crossing guard at Delavan and William Street, adding school zone signage and crosswalks, and striping of the roadway.

Also, to enforce traffic regulations in the neighborhood, the Greenwich Police Department is stepping up its presence in the area, according to Bocchino and Greenwich Police Community Impact Officer Keith Hirsch.

When questioned about the timetable to renovate and enlarge, or replace New Lebanon building, Riccio said that the project is still at least 18 months away from final planning and funding approvals. Given the state Board of Education’s approval in May of the Greenwich Board of Education’s plan to create more diversity in the New Lebanon student population and closing the student achievement gap, she said the district would be eligible for up to 80 percent state reinbursement on construction costs.

State Rep. Stephen Walko added that the pending departure of state Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor could impact the plans for New Lebanon. Pryor had been unyielding in the state’s demands on the school district to deal with a growing minority student population in the western end of town and the resulting student achievement gap.

A Magnet for Drunk Drivers

The discussion of traffic safety was the perfect segue for Greenwich Police Community Impact Officer Keith Hirsch who told residents that of the 78 driving while intoxicated arrests the department has made since Jan.1, 33 of them were made in the Delavan Avenue corridor.

“You know how it is. Last call is 12:30 (a.m.) and they come down to Port Chester, to Sam’s, to Davy Byrne’s where last call is 3:30,” Hirsch said. He said the department will continue to use federal grants to conduct periodic DWI enforcement efforts in the area.

He also said residents should contact him with any other traffic or neighborhood safety issues, or even to report graffiti. (He can be reached at 203-618-8305.)

Eliminating flooding on South Water Street

Bocchino said that the Greenwich Department of Public Works is continuing its instllation of sewer lines along South Water Street and at the pump station there to improve the handling of storm and rain water runoff in the area. Historically, South Water Street becomes flooded during or after heavy rainfalls, as evidenced during Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy.

Other sidewalk and curbing work will be completed in spring 2015 as well as final work at the small town park on South Water at William Street West, according to Bocchino.

“The real issue with storm water and with flooding is that the pump station doesn’t have the proper equipment to handle it. We’re very excited to hear that the work is being done,” Bocchino said. The work should be completed by the end of 2014.

Proposed Wiffleball field at Byram Park

The BNA membership agreed that more data is needed from Greenwich United Way in terms of use and parking needs for the proposed installation of a Wiffleball field on the site of an apparently unused ballfield at Byram Park. A Yankee Stadium-like white fence would ring the field that’s located just south of the park’s tennis courts and adjacent to the picnic pavillion.

“We haven’t seen the data to show the usage of the field and the field hasn’t been maintained by the town,” said state Rep. Stephen Walko (R-150) whose district encompasses the neighborhood. “What will happen with the parking. Let them come to us with real, definitive sata so we can make an informed decision.”

Several residents echoed Walko’s concerns regarding parking where most weekends there are organized picnics and cookouts booked for the pavillion area at the park that’s also home to the Byram Shore Boat Club.

The timetable for the proposal includes a vote by the town’s Representative Town Meeting in September. However, the membership agreed to table endorsing the plan until the requested data is received.

State of the Town

First Selectman Peter Tesei said the town has reached an agreement that will have Connecticut Light & Power remove abandoned or “bare poles” in town. As the utility continues to hang more resilient power lines that require the installation of taller (45-foot) utility poles in Greenwich, there are many bare poles or as Tesei described, “bare poles” left standing along town streets.

“CL&P or Verizon own those poles and they have been refusing to remove the stubs when they’re replaced by taller poles,” Tesei said. This week, CL&P agreed to remove a number of them in town, especially along the North Street corridor.

Tesei also said that CL&P on Tuesday presented a $377,000 check to the town as part of a grant to pay for power conservation upgrades at the town’s sewage treatment plant at Grass Island.

Tesei also announced that the town’s September 11 memorial ceremony will be relocated this year to the Glenville Volunteer Fire Department where a Sept. 11 memorial created with a piece of steel recovered from the Twin Towers is installed on the department’s front lawn. It will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 11.

Because of the lengthy agenda, the association postponed its vote for new leadership until the fall. Bocchino, who has served as president since 2003, is stepping down. He is running for the state house seat held by Walko, who is moving out of the legislative district.

Walko said he is working with the state Department of Transportation to relocate traffic signs on I-95, south of the southbound Exit 2 to before the exit. “The signs after the exit say ‘To Port Chester use next exit.’ We’re trying to get the signs moved to before Exit 2 to reduce truck traffic and (other drivers),” Walko said.

Photo: From left, Greenwich Police Community Impact Officer Keith Hirsch with Byram Neighborhood Association Vice President Bob McKnight and BNA President Mike Bocchino.