With the 2012-13 school year right around the corner, the Pleasantville Board of Trustees is working to make a safer neighborhood for the district's students.
The crosswalks in the area of the three public schools have been restriped and repainted in time for the first day of school, said Village Administrator Patricia Dwyer at Monday's board of trustees meeting.
"However, on Romer Avenue, there will be other enhancements, so to speak," she explained. "We are going to have three imprinted crosswalks put in at strategic locations—two at the access road to the driveway...and at the end of Romer where it crosses Clinton Street."
Dwyer said the three new crosswalks will be "very conspicious" and "very nice-looking," made of red brick with white borders.
Additionally, after Romer Avenue residents requested the village look into speed mitigation on the street, the board decided to install a "graduated speed table" between the middle school access driveway and Clinton Street.
Essentially a small speed bump, "This will have probably have an elevation of about two inches," Dwyer said.
"It's nice to know that we have a village that is responsive to the residents," commented Romer Avenue resident Joe Stargiotti on Monday. "When we ask for something, you think it through and you come up with a proposed solution."
Finally, the board discussed and passed two resolutions yesterday that address parking concerns on the road.
"The library has had major problems at dismissal times during the school year," said Trustee Colleen Griffin Wagner, citing times when parents idle in the library parking lot to pick up their children or take spaces that are meant for patrons.
She stated that library, police and school officials met to discuss ways to address the issues.
"Hopefully, if we can all work together and reiterate the rules, we can keep it a little safer for the kids," said Griffin Wagner.
Therefore, the board ruled to prohibit parking south of Bedford Road for approximately 242 feet on Romer Avenue—about 2-3 parking spaces in front of the library parking lot—between the hours of 7 and 9 a.m. and 2 and 4 p.m. on school days.
Two-hour parking will continue on the street from the middle school driveway to the on the western side, with the exception of holidays, weekends and holidays—when there will not be any parking restrictions.
These new regulations, Griffin Wagner said, will actually be less restrictive than the current parking signs portray.
Meanwhile, she said, the changes could help make it safer for students to cross streets and encourage parents to park farther away from the school when dropping off or picking up their kids.
"There is plenty of legal parking [nearby]," agreed Dwyer.
Trustee Brian Skarstad, who is a Romer Avenue resident, said he agrees with the proposal, but commented that the cars parked on the northern part of the street near the library may actually help slow down traffic as it turns from Bedford Road.
"While I'm in favor of what we are doing tonight, the only caveat I have is if you open it up all the way to the crosswalk, there are some cars that are going to work up speed without going through the hourglass of a driveway," he said.
Griffin Wagner said that while parking is prohibited in that area, the traffic will likely be slower to begin with because of before and after school congestion.
Dwyer said she anticipates new signage on the street should be up in time for the first day of school.
"I am willing to see how it works," said Skarstad.
NOTE: The descriptions of the proposed parking changes have been updated. We regret the initial error.
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