Despite the meeting being held at 10 a.m. on a weekday, when most people would have to be at work, approximately 40 people were on hand last Thursday to discuss the Levittown School District's proposal for the construction of a new bus driveway that would come within inches of several neighbors' properties.

Superintendent of the Levittown School District, Dr. Herman Sirois, began the meeting by explaining why the school district felt this proposal for a bus driveway was necessary. He noted that there is a lot more traffic now than there was even five years ago and said that at many of the schools the traffic patterns have become congested and are creating some severe problems. He added that there are also many more students being bused to school now than there had been a few years back and the traffic congestion has led to safety concerns at Gardiner's Avenue Elementary School.

"We need to do something for the safety of our children, as well as the congestion on Gardiner's Avenue," said the superintendent. "Many of you probably remember we've dealt with this before when we, at one point, thought of re-routing the buses through the two streets [where there are existing entrances]. We decided not to do that ultimately because the streets are so small that the buses would be backed up all day long. This, we think is a plan that will keep the buses off the streets." Sirois went on to note that this particular project would involve a minimum amount of time. "If we can make any adjustments that are reasonable, certainly we'll consider those," said Sirois.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Dr. Alan Groveman, then explained that the project would involve the buses running up the driveway up the south side of the building, turning into the back of the school, then turning and going back out along the north side of the building and waiting there as long as it takes them to make the turn onto Gardiner's Avenue. According to Groveman there will be either a fence or a chain to prevent this driveway from being used during the middle of the day. The buses dropping off kindergartners in the middle of the day will use the existing two circles in the front of the school.

Residents whose homes abut the Gardiner's Avenue School said that the length of time it will take the buses to make the turn onto Gardiner's Avenue is a real concern to them because of the traffic. They noted that the fumes will be going directly into the homes on Book Lane which abut the property, while the buses are idling there. One resident stated that the driveway is 26 feet from her bedroom window and said that there should be a law against what the district is proposing. When asked about the environmental impact of the fumes, Groveman responded that the school is within all legal regulations.

Jeanne Gebert, a Book Lane resident who has been one of the leaders in the fight against this project asked Groveman how he would feel if someone sat outside his bedroom window idling a bus. He agreed that he would not want this in his backyard. When asked why he wouldn't want it in his backyard, Groveman responded, "For the same reasons you don't."

Other residents, including the Dunns who live on Gardiner's Avenue, next door to the school, raised the concern about the safety of the children who would be walking past this driveway. Groveman responded that the crossing guard can be moved to that area. John Dunn noted that 16 buses could fit in the two circles presently there, eight in one and eight in another and said that has been sufficient up to this point and still should be sufficient. He went on to say that the cars which are congesting the street do not belong there and should be ticketed. Groveman responded that the police don't come when they call about the traffic problem.

When questioned about if they considered connecting the two circles in the front, Groveman responded, "We looked at options in the center. Last year we had a bus lose control and drive across and we don't want the buses going across where we have most of our students walking into the main entrance." Residents then said that if a bus lost control with this new driveway, it would end up in their homes, or backyards, where their children are and questioned whether the district considered the safety of the families of neighboring homes. "We looked at a number of options and this option is the best," said Groveman.

Gebert argued that this option was not the best for the neighbors and noted that they had always been good neighbors to the school, making them aware if kids are breaking into the school or doing graffiti and said that the district owed it to them to be good neighbors too. She said the lack of notification on the part of the school district, only a vague sign that did not explain where the driveway would be placed, "was insulting."

As a breast cancer survivor, diagnosed in 1998, Gebert stated, "I'm killing myself to eat right, exercise, to do everything right and now I'll have diesel fumes coming in my backyard? It's just taking away from our quality of life ... I think we all need to think of another idea to get this resolved."

The concern was raised by another resident that the buses would decide they do not twant o wait in the line of buses and would end up cutting through side streets to get to the other entrances and congesting those side roads. According to the assistant superintendent, the buses do not have the option of re-routing themselves.

When asked for the environmental impact study, Groveman explained that the district goes through the state education department and for a project such as this does not need an impact statement. "Why not? You're above the law?" asked one resident.

"If they are not required to get an environmental impact study on something that impacts us all so much, maybe we should find out how we can change that law, because there is something seriously wrong when this school can stand up and tell us all it doesn't need an environmental impact study," said Gebert.

Another concern that was raised and brought up new problems, was the fact that on the north side of the building where it is very shady, there is an ice problem in the winter and the buses would be driving on a sheet of ice. "You expect the buses to drive over that solid sheet of ice and come within six inches of my fence and do it safely?" asked a resident. Groveman explained that all the district's driveways are cleared when there are weather conditions and this would be no different. That raised the question of when the driveways would be cleared, a question which was deferred to Joe Ewald, the building maintenance manager. Ewald said, depending on the conditions, his crew may be out at 2 a.m., 4 a.m. or 7 a.m. clearing the driveway.

Community activist and former Town of Hempstead Councilman Gary Hudes noted that he, County Legislator Dennis Dunne, and NY State Assemblywoman Kate Murray, all Levittown residents, went down to the property to examine the proposal and consider the concerns of the residents. He said that a couple of questions came out of that visit, number one being, whether or not, for the safety of the children, a project is needed and number two is whether that change could be done in the front of the building or if it is necessary for it to go around to the back. Hudes brought a couple of alternative plans with him to share with the board of education and administration. He explained that there is 100 feet on either side of the two circles and 200 feet between the circles that could be used in an alternate fashion. He even suggested that there might be a way to have a separate circle for parents to drop off children so they don't stop on Gardiner's Avenue. "There are alternatives that we do not feel that the school district have examined thoroughly enough, that would not impact on these people, that would help the problem with the parents who are coming down and dropping off their children, and would help everyone," said Hudes.

"Some backyards on Book Lane would come within eight inches of the [driveway]. Even though I understand the Levittown School District and school districts in general don't have to comply with local zoning laws, if you look at every time someone needs a variance they have to provide notice to everyone within 100 feet of the proposed variance, I would think, just as a minor degree of courtesy, perhaps the people on Club, Turf, Book, Baker, certainly on Book and Club Lanes, might have been given some notice," said Assemblywoman Murray. She noted that she was glad that the district was holding this meeting but expressed concern that many people could not attend because of the hour. "The bottom line is we are in the business to help our kids but we also have to help our taxpayers. If we don't have taxpayers, we don't have a school district," stated Murray.

Legislator Dunne echoed the sentiments of many, regarding the fact that the community should have been notified. A resident of Gardiner's Avenue himself, Dunne noted that he drives past the school several times a day and didn't notice the sign until someone mentioned it to him.

"This meeting shouldn't be happening now, it should have happened months ago, before you drew up the plans. Maybe they [residents] might have had better ideas than you have right now," said Dunne. "Having everybody put their heads together and come up with a solution, that's the answer, not just shoving it down their throats." Dunne also suggested that the district might have examined what other districts have done and explained that at one of the largest schools in East Meadow, a horseshoe shaped driveway runs along the front of the building. He went on to note that if the district went with one of the plans that involve the front of the building the 8th Precinct could be contacted and could have patrols on hand in the beginning while people get used to it, to ensure everyone's safety.

When pushed for a decision, Sirois stated, "We will take this meeting under consideration. We cannot, here today, make any promises of any sort. If we determine we need to delay the project to get further input, we'll consider that." When asked how residents would know the decision, Sirois suggested those present leave their names and numbers. Hudes pointed out that many people who could not attend because they had to go to work had a stake in the decision as well.

"You successfully kept the group very small by calling the meeting at 10 a.m., at your convenience and not ours, the ones who are being affected," said one resident.

School Board Trustee Pat Parsekian asked Sirois to assure residents that no work would be done until all the people affected have been notified.

"Being a board trustee, I want to apologize to the people on Book and Club Lanes that you weren't notified properly and I would like to see that before we do anything we get the concerns of the people who could not be here, maybe at a nighttime meeting, before we go ahead with whatever project we're going to do. Together with the board of education, and local politicians and the community on Book Lane and Club Lane, we will come up with a good plan," said board of education trustee James Moran.

Thursday afternoon, those who were in attendance at the morning meeting received calls from the superintendent's office informing them that construction has been postponed and further input from the residents would be sought.