Fields go to a vote

Written by Matt Dalen
Monday, 26 October 2009 23:00

After hearing from a parade of student athletes and the occasional parent, the Katonah-Lewisboro school board on Tuesday officially adopted “Plan B” — a proposal to spend nearly $3.13 million of the district’s capital reserve to build a synthetic turf rectangular field and natural grass softball field at the AP Farm Athletic Fields across from John Jay High School, to renovate and rebuild John Jay High School’s baseball field to be section-playable, and to install instrument lockers and air conditioning in the school’s music department. The resolution, which was approved 6-1 with board member Dr. Peter Treyz opposing, will now go before the voters in a referendum on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

The Ledger's guide the the entire capital proposal and its history is available here. The guide is updated regularly as more information is released.

“Let’s do it,” said board student member Michael Mitchell before the vote. “I don’t have a vote. My authority here is as far as my voice reaches. ... This is the resolution that we have been waiting for.”

A large crowd of student athletes and members of the school Booster Club came out to support the construction of more athletic fields, and applauded when the resolution passed. Athletes cited major problems with the existing fields and a lack of playing space as the primary reasons to build new fields.

Dr. Treyz opposed the resolution because he argued that the board should have included several options for the use of the money for voters to choose from, rather than one defined plan that was pre-chosen.

“I would love to see an alternative, or two alternatives, on the ballot if there is a possibility of doing it,” Dr. Treyz said. “I’ve been hearing from a lot of people who feel that they don’t have a choice other than this one.”

But his fellow board members disagreed.

“At the end of the day, what you’d be doing is pretty much giving up your obligation to educate the community, to lead the community,” said board President Michael Gordon. “It will be the community’s right to say whether or not they agree with us or disagree with us."