Lynbrook school board rethinks plans for parking lot after tree controversy emerges

The Lynbrook School District is examining alternative plans for parking near the Marion Street Elementary School playground after residents complained that the project would have destroyed trees near the school.

Board of Education President Bill Belmont said the reasoning for the new parking lot, which would be closer to the school than the current lot, was to better ensure safety for students.

But Bob Sympson, who has lived across the street from the playground for 57 years, shared his opposition to the project with the board at its Feb. 9 meeting. He told the Herald last week that he was concerned over the proposal because it would destroy trees that have been in the area for decades.

“I couldn’t imagine them doing what they’re doing,” Sympson said, “and I don’t find any rational argument for doing what they’re doing, whether its engineering-wise or whether it’s financial. There are seven trees that are probably several decades old. It’s just a lovely area for kids to play and they love it over there.”

The upgrade to the parking lot is part of a capital improvement project that will be on the budget vote ballot in May and includes several projects at Marion Street and Lynbrook North Middle School. Belmont said that in the wake of Sympson and other residents’ concerns, the board is attempting to come up with another solution.

“We’re going to try and reconfigure some things,” Belmont said. “The security issue is that right now the kids are a good distance away from the building, so if we have a lockdown, they have to come from a very far distance. We’re looking to give them more secure space by having them closer to the building and moving the parking lot closer.”

Belmont added that it “shouldn’t be a major adjustment,” but he hoped the board would reach a solution that pleases everyone. Its members planned to replace the trees, but Sympson said he didn’t believe they would grow as tall as the ones that would have been removed.

If the projects are approved, at North Middle, field upgrades would include replacing the natural grass field with synthetic turf. The field would also have lines for multiple sports, including football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey, new football uprights and soccer goals. It would also include a 16-foot chain-link fence on the field’s west side, and a 4-foot chain-link fence on the north side, a 300-seat, three-row bleachers stand, LED sports lighting and an expansion to the parking lot along the east side. Additionally, Room 208 would also receive new floor tiling under the proposed plan.

Upgrades proposed for Marion Street include the replacement of the current synthetic turf field with new turf, game lines for football, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey; LED sports lighting; a complete renovation of the parking lot to increase spaces, flow and safety, along with new asphalt and sidewalks; a new playground structure on a safety surface; a basketball court; trees in both the parking lots and play areas for shade; picnic tables and fencing around the parking lot.

The Facilities Subcommittee of the Board of Education has been reviewing plans to make the grounds of Marion Street School safer for all children, district representatives said in an emailed statement. “The safety of its students and staff is the top priority for the Lynbrook School District,” it said. “The playground area for the children at Marion Street Elementary School is at a great distance from the building and poses a challenge for the staff to bring students back to the safety of the building quickly. The proposed proposition accomplishes that goal. Trees that need to be removed to create a more secure environment will be replaced with other trees that re-establish the beauty in years to come.”

Sympson, who said he has planted trees throughout the village for many years, noted that he was upset that the projects were considered without feedback from the community.

“Their arguments for doing this project are specious,” he said. “The other thing that bothers me, who comprises the Facilities Committee that came up with these ideas and did not even consider the people on Marion Street that it’s going to affect? It gets rid of trees that they will not be able to replace in their lifetime.”