Board Recap: More Parking at Fireman's Field?

A proposed plan between the village and the Rockville Centre school district could result in the addition of more than 50 spots to Fireman's Field, as well as the refurbishing of the field's outdated track, officials said at Thursday's Village Board briefing session.

According to RVC FD chief John Busching, a group of fire department officials recently met with district representatives to discuss a renovation to Fireman's Field. The proposal, if agreed upon by both sides, would be part of a renewed contract between the village and school district. The current contract expires on June 30.

Busching said the proposal would extend the field to the other side of the street, thus giving more room for parking as well as fire department functions like tournaments and picnics. The track would also be repaved under the proposal, Busching said, which has not been done for more than 30 years.

"This is a wonderful project that benefits everyone," Mayor Fran Murray said. "It will help pull cars off the street."

Busching said the details of the project — who would pay for what, when the work would get done and by whom — was not determined. Those details, he said, would be worked out between the board and the district. He noted that the extension would not abut neighboring properties. The parking spaces would be 60 to 80 feet away from the closest homes, he said.

In other news, the board will approve on April 3 a resolution to publish a legal notice to host a public hearing on the Maple Avenue Reconstruction project. The village will receive a $1.3 million grant for the project. The total cost of the work is between $3 million to $4.5 million, officials said.

On April 3, the village will host public hearings on the 2013 village budget, the tax cap and a local law dealing with where air-conditioners can be installed on a homeowner's property.