Option D - Save Greenacres and Let Everybody Win

This letter was sent to Scarsdale10583 by Greeenacres Resident Jamie Kayam:
Some of us may have already met, as I have served on the Village's Board of Architectural Review for two years now, and have just committed to a new term of continued volunteer service.

Like many of you, I live in Greenacres. My wife and I have three children who will soon be entering the school system over the next few years.

Regarding the future of Greenacres School, to date, I've been observing a debate of opposing voices that support a very limited set of options the Board of Education has provided, but from all sides, I just see people digging into positions as if the debate is over.

Village Hall and the BAR have no official or legal affiliation with the Board of Education on the matter of school construction, however, as a concerned citizen and a member of the BAR, I feel I have a perspective worth sharing. At BAR meetings we are challenged to scrutinize hundreds of projects in the village with a mandate to keep Scarsdale's character and quality-of-life preserved as much as possible.

For Greenacres there are many issues we could all come together on, yet the public argument continues to circle a small range of mediocre options. This just isn't the best way to view the situation.

Let's start by reviewing some issues we can all likely agree on; we all want:

• The best school environment.
• The most green space.
• Preservation and curated change that makes sense for our neighborhood.

Now consider what the BOE has offered us:

• Option B. Build an extension on the current structure. This will include a disruptive and potentially dangerous process to deliver a cramped addition on a crowded lot.
• Option C. Build a new school in the middle of a valued green space to gain more parking spots and an under-developed building. This design ignores many options that would maximize its effectiveness as a public structure. The proposed design has no basement, it lacks multiple large spaces and it has a sprawling footprint. At the time of my review, this design also included an inaccurate plan for a new green space in place of the demolished school that did not account for ground elevations that will result in a loss of usable space.

Options B and C are lacking in quality and do not offer change worthy of our community. A professional posture would immediately suggest more options be made available.

Let's keep this simple so everybody can win.

Some process suggestions:

• Demote the current firm from exclusivity to design the future of Greenacres School.
• Open up the design process so as many ideas as possible can flow in from as many sources as possible.
• Require new designs to present a complete and accurate vision for the future of Greenacres School.

Don't get caught up in the urgency of the matter — we have time to create a better product.

My personal design suggestions:
Build a larger, more useful institution on the north, west, or east side of Greenacres Field, with a fully-functioning basement level, and more large rooms, and courtyards, and rooftop greenhouses, and lots of other good stuff, and yes, include a parking lot and delivery lot as well.

Permanently close the current Huntington Avenue passage and consider a relocation of the passage to accommodate a new design.

Present a new design for the south side of the field that includes a drop in the elevation where the existing old school would be demolished, complete with a retaining wall to present a leveled, usable green space that will replace the lost space on the north side.

Present a plan that keeps Greenacres Park open and available to the public during construction.

I realize this is a busy time for the BOE and all residents, and I applaud the extended effort everyone is making to move the process forward. During the first rounds of the BOE's presentations and meetings, I had reached out to the BOE to volunteer to help as a concerned resident, and although I have not been called upon, I continue to offer to help.

As time permits, I am going to post designs of how I envision potential new concepts. Click here to view my designs: 

On a closing note, I recently brought my oldest son to Greenacres School for kindergarten orientation. This is an exciting and wonderful time for all young families and neighbors, and I know we can all work together to continue the tradition of excellence in Scarsdale.

Thanks for your time.