Back in February, the Levittown School District and Board of Education decided to investigate two major athletic proposals on the grounds of Levittown Memorial Education Center. The two separate proposals, Field of Dreams and a pool complex, have since been the cause of major concern of residents of the surrounding area.

Field of Dreams, the first phase, would consist of a turf field with permanent markings for football, soccer and lacrosse use, a new track with markings for track use, lights for nighttime use, bleacher seating for 1,500 and a field house with bathrooms, lockers, a concession stand and public bathrooms. Phase II of the Field of Dreams would include new softball and baseball fields, located directly behind the LMEC gymnasium.

Phase III would include building a swimming complex, complete with a prefabricated Olympic-size pool in the back of LMEC where the old tennis courts were. The pool, 50 meters long by 26 yards wide, would not have any diving sections and would be provided by Long Island Swimming, a non-profit competitive swimming association. The complex would also include a weight room, study rooms and a 20' x 50' training pool. The proposition includes LIS leasing an acre of land from the school district. In exchange for no lease payments, LIS will allow all Levittown schools access to the pool during school hours. The pool would also be open to residents and non-residents alike on a fee basis.

Both LIS and the Levittown School District would oversee operation of the complex.

"By virtue of the building being in our jurisdiction, we would have as much say about it as anybody else," Levittown Schools Athletic Director Keith Snyder said.

Synder first presented the board with this proposal in 2005 in an effort to provide a central location for school district athletic events as well as for practices without increasing the district's budget.

"This would provide us with our first ever swim team for the district, our first ever physical education class for swimming," he added. "We can do lifeguard training, boater safety and scuba diving. I'd be remiss not to at least give it a shot for the kids. This is a free pool. Why not get as much for the kids as we can. We're a school district, that's what we're supposed to be doing."

LIS is seeking a 30- to 40-year lease, which, if approved by the board would then be put to a public vote, as how leases by the school for over 10 years are decided.

"It would be at the board's discretion when they think they want to do a referendum," Snyder said.

The pool's operating hours would be from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Levittown residents would be allowed to use the pool 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, after 10 a.m. on Saturdays and all day on Sundays. The fees would be $1,200 per year for a non-Levittown family pass and $1,100 per year for a Levittown family pass. Levittowners may also pay a per diem rate of $6, "which is cheaper than the fee for Nassau County pools," according to Snyder.

LIS needs 800 memberships to maintain the complex. Should the operation encounter a bankruptcy or other financial hardships Snyder said they "would float a bond to provide for any necessary demolition for the complex that was built."

LIS has offered the district a business plan on how they plan to financially support and maintain the complex, however, Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois said "the board needs an independent review of that to tell them that is a feasible plan or not."

"They need some independent assurance that the pool will remain solvent and not be a burden on the taxpayers," he added.

"We've met several times," Snyder said of the committees, LIS and the district. "We're not going to go into this blind. We have a school district attorney, who is totally going over all this stuff and everything will be done by code."

According to Snyder, LIS estimates 80-100 visitors per day to the pool, not including physical education classes. Nearby residents said such usage will account for increased traffic, noise and pollution.

Ranch Lane resident Mary Voulgaris has been most vocal in this opposition. The rear of her home is at a diagonal to the school.

"This is a narrow, residential road, not intended for commercial traffic. With the potential damage to cars, hit and runs, this [road] will be turned into a freeway," Voulgaris said.

Barbara Satriana, who has lived off Copper Lane for over 30 years, echoed this statement.

"The traffic is unbelievable now," she said. "You can't even park on your own streets. It will cause excessive traffic and pollution. If they want to put something there, put something for the seniors or something that will give us some sort of tax relief."

Joanne Fink lives on the corner of Ranch and Abbey Lanes and said the proposed pool complex is a "big mistake." She posted signs on trees in front of her house, notifying passersby about the proposals.

Fink said she educated herself on the topic by visiting the Long Island Swimming website and reading Levittown Board of Education meeting minutes dating back to August 2005.

"I went into the committee meetings with an open mind, however I couldn't believe it was all mostly set," she said.

"People keep telling us, 'you shouldn't have bought a house by a school,'" Fink said. "Yes, we bought by a school, but schools usually run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Not from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. This is really going to affect the area."

Fink said that with people who will use the pool, there would be a lot more cars driving in and out of the area.

"It's going to mushroom into something bigger," she added. "They said it's not going to cost you anything, but you know eventually it will. If we are going to do this, it should be for our Levittown community and I would be more open to it."

Snyder responded to these concerns by saying there were more children when the building was functioning as a working high school until 1983.

"There will be no more traffic than there ever was," Snyder said.

Ranch Lane resident Linda Goldman said she doesn't think these proposals are needed.

"It is not a viable thing for the community and it's not going to help us in the least," she added.

Goldman said she heard the proposal includes extending the parking lot into the hill.

"That hill belongs to our kids," Goldman said. "Do not take the one and only major hill in this area that every neighborhood kid waits for to go down on sleds after it snows."

Goldman said she would like to see the tennis courts in working order again instead.

"Give us back what we had," she added. "I would love to see the elementary school kids learn to play tennis and then go on to Salk [Middle School] and MacArthur [High School] and play on the tennis teams."

A member of the Pool Complex Committee and chairperson of the Field of Dream Committee, Rich Barry said, "this process and these committees were misunderstood by residents located in the immediate vicinity of LMEC."

Barry, who is also vice president of Levittown South Wantagh Baseball, said he supports this project.

"I am proud to say that I support, and will volunteer my time to this project because any improvement to our school district is an improvement to our community and in turn helps our children," Barry wrote in a letter to the editor in this week's Levittown Tribune. "I am proud of the progress that our school district has made over the last 10 years. Our children are reaping the benefits of this progress. Let us continue and improve our community."

Voulgaris attended the July 13 pool complex committee meeting where she said committee members voted 5-4 in favor of it. Next the proposal will be heard before the school board.

"The board is doing a very good job with it and they are not rushing to judgment," Dr. Sirois said.

This item will be discussed during the public input portion at the Aug. 9 board of education meeting, however, both Board President Gina Interdonato and Dr. Sirois assured no vote would be taken then. The next meeting for the Field of Dreams committee will take place in September.

For more information about Long Island Swimming, visit www.longislandswimming.com. For past Levittown Board of Education meeting minutes visit www.levittownschools.com/board.htm.