FAQs

This summer, contractors will begin preparing the Hutchinson property for construction of the new school. This work includes building a construction vehicle access road off Lincoln Avenue, and installing construction fencing. The majority of the work will relate to removing rock and trees from the property where the new school will be located. Due to the large amount of rock on the property, controlled blasting will be necessary to break up large pieces of rock, which will then be repurposed or removed.

• June 22 & June 24 - Initial site preparation, installation of fencing and mobilization of equipment

• June 25-26 - Test boring, earth moving and demolition of the playground are expected to occur

• June 27 (Day after school year ends) - Tree removal and other site preparation

• June 28 - First possible day of blasting

• August 30 - Blasting expected to conclude

• Fall 2019 - Removal of rock from property continues

• December 2019 - Target for construction of new building to begin

• Fall 2022 - Target for new school to open

• Summer 2023 - Target for project completion, including demolition of current building and completion of new field and playground

Due to the site preparation, Hutchinson School will not be used for any summer programs. The Tiny Tots camp offered by Pelham Recreation has been relocated to the other elementary schools. Additionally, Hutchinson Field will be closed for the duration of construction activities.

Multiple professional service providers have advised the District that that the structure of Hutchinson School should not be adversely impacted by the rock blasting. Testing completed during the bond feasibility process revealed that the building is structurally sound, despite the documented concerns about the brick facade. As a precaution the school will be monitored for vibration impact throughout the blasting and, at the recommendation of the District’s masonry architect, additional bracing of the brick facade will be put in place as needed  prior to any blasting. Prior to students and staff returning to school in the fall, the building and the portable classrooms will also be inspected by professionals to ensure they are safe for occupancy.

Site preparation work, including drilling to prepare for blasting, will be ongoing each weekday. It is expected that there will be an average of four blasts per day, which will each be preceded and ended with warning sirens. The blast itself may be audible for those in close proximity. Blasting sessions will take just a few minutes per day with the remainder of the time being spent on breaking up and removing the rock. It is expected that 4-5 trucks will carry approximately 20-30 truckloads of rock off site per day.

The site plan includes creation of a construction vehicle road off Lincoln Avenue with the intent of keeping the vast majority of construction related activities away from residential streets. The vehicles will enter the site by making a right turn off Lincoln Avenue and exit onto Lincoln making right turns only.

Technological advances have significantly lowered the risks associated with rock blasting. The District’s construction manager does not anticipate damage to surrounding properties as a result of the rock removal process. As a layer of protection for the District and surrounding homeowners, the District has retained Tectonic Engineering to monitor the Hutchinson property and survey residential and commercial properties within 150 feet of Hutchinson School before rock blasting begins to document current conditions. Letters with additional detail regarding this free monitoring service were mailed by Tectonic to the owners of the identified properties in March. Tectonic has also followed up with those property owners in April and May.

Representatives from the District, Triton Construction, KG&D Architecture and Tectonic Engineering are in regular contact with the Village of Pelham Building Inspector, Fire Chief, and Chief of Police to ensure that all construction activities are done in a safe manner that minimizes the impact on residents. There has also been coordination with Con Edison and Suez Water throughout the planning process.

The site preparation contractor will follow state guidelines for dust control. Proactive measures to keep dust from spreading during drilling and blasting include using water with all drills and then spraying water immediately following blasts to keep dust down and maintain adequate air quality. This will be overseen for compliance by the District’s construction manager.

The District has retained Parkway Pest Services to manage any rodent issues that may occur as a result of blasting. This will include laying of traps and bait boxes in the school and around the construction site. We will closely monitor the situation once the work begins and adjust as needed.

Because the field, Fifth Street parking lot and rear entrance will be part of an active construction zone, several changes to arrival and drop-off procedures have been made for the 2019-20 school year, which are expected to remain in place through duration of construction.

Arrival

• Enter either through the gym door on Third Avenue, the entrance at Lincoln and Third Avenue, or the Main Entrance.
• Doors will open at 8:10 am and students will line up by grade in the gym for grades 1-3, kindergarten will line up in the kindergarten hallway and 4th & 5th will line up in their hallway.
• Doors will close at 8:25 am, after which students should enter through the greeter entrance as they do currently

Dismissal

• Kindergarten students will be walked out by their teacher and staged in the parking alcove on Third Avenue.
• Students in grades K-3 will exit out of the Third Avenue Door near the gym and Students in grades 4 & 5 will exit out the door on the corner of Lincoln and Third and turn left to stage on Third Avenue.

Traffic

No traffic will be permitted on Third Avenue between Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue from 7:45-8:30 am and 2:45-3:30 pm

Recess/Lunch

• Students will have a 30 minute lunch and 30 minute recess
• Recess will be held at Julianne’s Playground. Students will cross Third Avenue as a group and walk to the playground as a group, escorted by adults
• Julianne’s Playground will be closed to the public when in use by the school
• Additional safety precautions include use of a golf cart/vehicle for quick transport between the school and playground for staff/school nurse in case of emergencies. Lunch monitors will have safety vests, walkie talkies, and additional first-aid kits and medications on site to meet student needs, etc.
• There will be a porta-potty on-site for student use
• Parent drop off may only occur at the school, not the playground

Safety Drills

• The District has worked closely with local police and fire departments to review safety procedures
• Fire drill/evacuation routes have been adjusted to accommodate the accessibility of the Hutchinson site during construction and the new drills are being practiced in May and June before site work begins
• Emergency Services will have access to the school through the construction site

Any construction issues should be directed to Triton Construction, which the District has retained for Construction Management Services. The onsite construction manager can be reached by calling 914-222-0883 or sending an email to Pelhamprojectinfo@tritonconstruction.net.

Blasting is anticipated on weekdays between 9am and 5pm. Work on the site may range from 7am-7pm, as needed to stay on schedule and complete all blasting prior to the start of school. Occasional Saturday work may also be needed to stay on schedule. The District and Construction Manager will communicate regularly with the Village of Pelham about work schedules throughout the project.

Staff will park on the:

• West side of Third Avenue from Sixth Street to Fifth Street

• West side of Fourth Avenue from Sixth Street to Lincoln Avenue

All current parking laws/restrictions will remain in effect on these streets. To the extent that there are parking restrictions on these streets, staff will be issued permits from the Village of Pelham allowing them to park there during work hours.

Visitor/Short Term Parking

Visitors to the school will be encouraged to park on the West side of Third Avenue south of Lincoln Avenue or at any other legal parking area in the neighborhood.

Contractor Parking

Contractors will be instructed to park on the east side of First Avenue north of Lincoln Avenue to Fifth Street and the south side of Fifth Street to Second Avenue. To the extent that there are parking restrictions on these streets, contractors will be issued permits from the Village of Pelham allowing them to park there during work hours.

This issue has been discussed with local police and the Village of Pelham. We were advised that Lincoln does in fact become a two-lane road near First Avenue to facilitate cars travelling west in Mt. Vernon and turning right onto First Avenue to access the Hutchinson River Parkway. We also confirmed that Lincoln Avenue is owned by Westchester County therefore we are unable to put any barriers on Lincoln Avenue. Please know that we will add some wood paneling to close off spaces in the current scaffolding to prohibit students from inadvertently stepping out on to Lincoln as they leave the building. Upon exiting they will be shepherded to turn left and walk to the Third Avenue side of the building.

District offices located on the bottom floor of Pelham Memorial High School are scheduled to be renovated into classrooms. This renovation will create an improved space for the Bridge Academy, a new Foundations of Learning classroom, and additional general classrooms. Additionally, there will be upgrades to certain science rooms, a dedicated orchestra room, and new art rooms. The roof of the PMHS Annex will also be replaced and select masonry repairs will be completed on both the middle and high schools.

The original intent was to begin this work in the summer of 2019. After consultation with the District’s architect, construction manager, and Bond Steering Committee, the Board of Education opted to re-bid this work in fall 2019 with the goal of completing the work by the end of summer 2020. It is hoped that this strategy will yield more favorable bid results for the District. Additionally, this will allow District offices to remain in their current locations in Pelham Memorial High School while the house at 314 Pelhamdale Avenue, acquired by the District in June 2019, is converted into offices.

District offices will remain in the current locations within the high school for the immediate future. The District will begin converting the house at 314 Pelhamdale Avenue into offices this summer so that they are ready for District staff when necessary. The project to convert the offices at Pelham Memorial High School into classrooms will be re-bid in the fall.

The Glover Field Complex will undergo significant renovations, including the installation of a turf multipurpose field where the Varsity, A, and B baseball/practice fields are currently located. Additionally, the tennis courts at the Glover Complex will also be replaced as part of this work.

The work is scheduled to begin by August 1 and continue through the fall and winter and may continue into the spring, dependent upon weather. This will allow the Pelham Recreation summer activities to be completed before construction begins.

Once the project commences, the Varsity, A, and B baseball/practice fields and the tennis courts will go offline. The District anticipates being able to use the current turf multipurpose field, track, Friendship Field and Richie Bell Field during the construction. Access to the fields will be available from Imperia Hill.

Athletic Director Stephen Luciana, has developed a draft field-use schedule that relies more heavily on the current turf field, Ingalls Field, and Franklin Field for practices and games during the fall season. This schedule should allow for the normal amount of practice time and games.