Residents Unhappy With Construction Of New Bleachers At HS

NORTH BABYLON, NY - Some North Babylon residents are unhappy with the construction of the new bleachers at the local high school which they say are obstructing their view.

In August, construction began at North Babylon High School to build new bleachers on the football field, which borders some of the homes on Spangler Drive.

However last months, the residents of Spangler Drive have began to notice the bleachers were directly obsturcting the views from the backyards of their homes.

One resident, John Seaman, provided photos from his backyard which shows the structure towering over the fence.

"The bleachers and press box stand 40 feet tall and now obstruct our privacy, as well as encroaching on the joint fence behind our homes," he told Patch. "It also poses a liability issue with the possibility of anyone in the bleachers who decides to jump off of them and fall into our yard."

Seaman also claims he has contacted school superintendent Glen Eshbach, who told him he will not be replacing the fence between the two properties.

"Additionally, Mr. Eschbach sent out a message to all parents of the school announcing that the threatening phone call received yesterday was, in part, as a result of the homeowners on Spangle Drive who are making a fuss over this Stadium project," Seaman said.

Seaman says he was away from his home until Nov. 1 which is when he noticed the bleachers. At that point he said his neighbors had already notified the school.

In addition, Seaman claims that he did not receive any postcards or other certified mail warning of the construction before it began.

"There are only a few homes affected and the school could have alerted those directly affected," he said.

In a statement, Eshbach says the matter was discussed during community meetings and that information was provided through the school website.

"Following the community approved bond vote, the district began construction on a multitude of projects, as scheduled and communicated with residents via public presentations, written communications and photo/video productions," he said. "Throughout this process we continue to update the community on the progress of construction through the district’s website and at open meetings. Under the guidance of professional architects and contractors, all construction projects are being completed exactly as planned, designed and presented to the community and with approval from the State Education Department."

He also claims that in addition to the community meetings, the district sent out postcards and newsletter informing of the project. An informative bond fair prior to the bond referendum vote which took place on December 5, 2017 was also held.

"The event featured members of the central administration, board of education and all school principals speaking to community members about the various components of the bond," the statement from the district read. "Attendees asked questions, observed visuals and brochures, and learned more about how facilities districtwide will be improved."

Last October, a Community Bond Presentation was also given which depicted the athletic field projects, the district claims.

At the district’s Board of Education meeting held last month, BOE President Daniel Caroleo informed the community that the board would take a walking tour of the construction site to personally review the new construction and discuss if any remedy would be necessary.

"No formal budgeting has been appropriated for possible remediation efforts including the construction of a new higher fence or the planting of trees and as such, these potential projects could result in an impact to taxpayers," the statement read.

Residents plan to discuse the matter at the next North Babylon School Board Meeting which will be held on Tuesday, November 13 at 8 p.m. at the Robert Moses Middle School.

Photos courtesy of John Seaman