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CHESTER UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Dear Fellow Neighbors,
As you may be aware, there is a Chester School District SPECIAL REFERENDUM VOTE on FEB. 25th at the Chester Academy, 64 Hambletonian Ave. e referendum is to decide on the demolition of our historic 1935 WPA-era school building on Maple Avenue and replace it with a less-than-appropriate $7.9 million arti cial turf sports facility for football, soccer, and lacrosse that includes a 1000-seat stadium.
REASONS TO SAVE THE BUILDING:
n e Maple Avenue school is an important historical building, lauded by architects and engineers as a solidly constructed example of early 20th century Art Deco architecture. It was recently occupied by BOCES but, through neglect, it deteriorated. However, it is not beyond saving and repurposing, and at a lower cost than destroying it to make way for a stadium. ere are many success stories across the nation of repurposed school buildings helping to revitalize communities.
n Our village is in the nal stage of a two-year e ort of dra ing its rst Comprehensive Plan to serve
as a guide for future development. One of its guiding principles is the recognition and preservation of Chester’s historical resources, acknowledging the past as we prepare for the future. e Maple Avenue building o ers our village an important opportunity to carry this out, whether it is converted into a municipal building, senior housing, an arts hub, an agricultural education center, a medical facility, or a variety of other uses that could be accomplished through private investment and/or grants, costing the taxpayers nothing.
REASONS TO REJECT THE PROPOSAL:
n e stadium would be built with an additional increase of your school tax bill of almost $200 per year for an estimated 20 years. is will be added onto the other annual increases to our school tax budget. ere will also be annual costs for maintenance and repairs (including a steep price to replace the turf a er 8-10 years).
n Our school district is experiencing declining student enrollment, with no signs that this pattern will change. Chester Academy is currently at only 55% capacity. And, as proud as we are of our Hambletonians, we are nding it increasingly di cult to eld a full football team and nd opponents to play. e current eld at Chester Commons, with its concession stand, is perfectly serviceable. A sports facility of this magnitude is simply not needed for a sports program of our size.
n e proposed athletic eld would be shoehorned into a long-established quiet residential neighborhood, subjecting our neighbors to tra c, noise, stanchion oodlights, and visual disturbances on a major scale. In fact, the southern end zone would butt right up against Maple Ave. with an enormous fence. In short, the impact on the area and property values would be drastic.
n e school district’s project analysis was conducted in a vacuum with no public input from the taxpayers who they are relying on to pay for it. More time is needed; why the rush?
ank you for your time and attention. Chester Concerned Citizens
We are asking for your support in voting NO on this referendum, to allow more thorough research into how the building can be better used.
REFERENDUM ON THE FATE OF THE MAPLE AVE. SCHOOL BUILDING
VOTE ON TUESDAY FEB. 25 AT THE CHESTER ACADEMY
VOTE NO
Please consider the options, the impact on your personal nances and the low return-on- investment, and vote NO on this referendum. Given time, we can nd an attractive alternative that will preserve a landmark building, enhance our community, and bene t all of its residents.
CHESTER SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSED ATHLETIC FACILITY SITE PLAN
and
PLACEMENT WITHIN EXISTING VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD
