Target Date of Delayed GRHS Fields Project Moved Up

Glen Rock Board of Education Trustee and Operations Committee chair Carlo Cella had good news to report to the public Monday night – the projected opening date of the plodding construction work to modernize the high school athletic fields has been moved up about a week.

With contractor Turco Golf moving full speed ahead on the now-$4.2 million project, the laying of the turf at the multi-purpose field could be completed by Saturday.

"Our objective is to get boys and girls soccer on that field starting that Monday [Oct. 15.]," Cella said, adding that contingencies like weather might throw off the again revised timeline.

"The lower soccer field is not going to be ready in that time-frame," Cella said, remarking it would need to be cordoned off until that element of the project is completed.

The 2012 fall athletic season had been in jeopardy after district officials said inclement weather and the discovery of unsuitable soil moved the expected opening of the main multi-purpose field from Sept. 15 to Oct. 20, Homecoming weekend. Depending on the speed of construction, the lower soccer field might open several weeks later or not at all this this calendar year, officials previously reported.

Whether the baseball fields will be ready for the spring has not yet been determined, Cella said.

Trustee Sheldon Hirschburg, Fiscal Management Committee chair, reported the district anticipates transferring about $500,000 from its capital budget into its general operating budget for the next school year.

The board approved a change order for Turco Golf in the amount of $59,000 to pay overtime costs. Business Administrator Michael Rinderknecht said he doesn't anticipate large change orders going forward.

Athletic Director Frank Violante will be assessing what games can be played at Glen Rock High School should the new, hopeful opening date stand.

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