Update to Aging Sports Facilities Imminent


PINE PLAINS — Members of the Pine Plains Central School District’s Board of Education, addressing the issue of deteriorated high school track, football bleachers, tennis courts and weight room, met Feb. 7 with architect Walter Pride to discuss improvements.

Stissing Mountain High School’s football bleachers were roped off last fall because some felt the structure’s integrity had been compromised.

Pride proposed that the board install new bleachers with a 671-seat capacity. The present bleachers hold about 380.

The architect suggested access for wheelchairs and a press box on top of the structure.

The pathway to the old bleachers consisted of grass and gravel. Pride said blacktop would be better, making the bleachers accessible to wheelchair-bound fans as well as ambulances.

Pride’s estimate for construction of new bleachers, which does not include his fees, is $2,800.

Some board members wondered if it would be possible to place storage space under the bleachers.

"That changes the whole structure," Pride said. "That would have to be done from scratch. This is a standard design. It would have to be 18 feet by 12 feet. Is that enough?"

"We’ll tell you later," responded Michael Goldbeck, the district’s assistant superintendent of business and finance.

"Construction-wise, is this the best?" board member Mary Zayas asked.

"It’s the best," he answered, noting that local school districts, such as Webutuck, have used the same type of bleachers.

Regarding the high school track, Pride said the surface should have been replaced "years ago," but it’s likely that the district could use it for another year.

"I want to use a latex finish," Pride said.

It would be wise to use asphalt on the tennis courts instead of clay, Pride said.

"It should go for eight or 10 years," he said. "Who knows how this thing was put together back then."

Resurfacing would cause little damage to the green area that surrounds the courts, Pride said.

It’s possible that one section of the fence that surrounds the courts could be removed so the excavator wouldn’t disturb the land.

Board member John Shea asked how often the asphalt would have to be resealed.

It depends on the weather, but every three years, or whenever the asphalt looks grey, the architect answered.

The weight room, which used to be located above Stissing Mountain High School’s gymnasium, was shut down last school year due to poor ventilation, no handicapped access, cracked tiles and the possible presence of asbestos.

While asbestos was ruled out, the district is still looking for a space where students and athletes can pump iron.

The district is looking at a 1,033- square-foot space now used by the football team, half the size of the previous weight room.

"There was all types of equipment stacked up with no rhyme or reason," Pride said of the old space, adding that a new workout space could be ready in about a month.

The architect estimated that 23 pieces of equipment could fit in the new space.

Much of the equipment in the old weight room was donated by the community.

Some board members wondered if this equipment could be used in the new space.

"We’re trying to meet the needs of the school community to get the weight room running in a cost-effective way," said Linda Kaumeyer, superintendent of schools. "I wish we could say that we could use every piece of equipment. But this does not preclude doing something in the future for the rest of the equipment. We’re trying to meet the needs and desires of all groups involved."

The superintendent wondered if Pride has a timetable for the four projects, which will be bundled together when voters have a say on the matter.

According to Pride, it all depends on how fast the State Education Department (SED) approves his plans, which he expects to complete by the end of March.

Voter approval is also critical to the project.

The last chance the board has to put a capital project on a public referendum is May 15.

Maureen Hebert and other board members said they were worried that if Pride’s plans aren’t completed until nearly April and a vote takes place a month later, construction may not be finished by the end of this summer and will continue into September, when school is in session.

"We would have to put contingency, or alternative, plans in place. It’s not under our consideration to wait until [summer 2008]," Kaumeyer said.

"We need a more aggressive time line," Hebert furthered.

Pride estimate the bundled project will cost the district at least $520,000.

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