High School Parking Lot Expansion Begins

Construction of the parking lot expansion at was underway by Monday morning, with construction equipment, marking posts and a gravel path at the scene.

Interim Superintendent Dennis Fyffe and Board of Education President Tom Belding said district officials met with John Ruschke, the engineer for Chatham Township, last Wednesday to discuss several outstanding "minor issues," according to Belding.

Fyffe said the issues included a revised lighting plan for the parking lot, the wall height along a certain part of the lot, and, what Fyffe said is the biggest discussion item, stormwater management.

Construction was scheduled to begin as soon as these issues were resolved. "The contractor is mobilizing equipment and construction will begin immediately," Fyffe said.

Belding said that the expansion of the parking lot "will be expedited" so that it is completed before school starts on Sept. 6.

The parking lot expansion will add 82 spaces to the current 253 spaces. Of those spaces, 133 of those spaces are reserved for staff, 20 are visitor spaces and four are marked as handicapped parking for the upcoming academic year.

According to Board Member Matthew Gilfillan's presentation, the expansion of the parking lot will also include some concessions to address residents' concerns. He said the board will install a pedestrian path along Longwood Avenue to make it easier for students coming from that direction to approach the school through the fields in the back, rather than walking around to the front approach along Lafayette Avenue.

Sidewalks on Lafayette Avenue are located on the opposite side of the street from Chatham High School and .

Chatham High will also have a teacher assigned to the lot each day between 7 and 8 a.m. who will only allow permitted parkers to enter the lot. Also, the fee for a parking space will increase $6 per semester to $50.

The School District of the Chathams already holds the necessary permits to add four new classrooms to the Chatham High campus, Fyffe and Belding said.

The entire construction project was awarded to Stone Creek Inc., a Lodi-based company, for $1,622,160. The board unanimously approved the project at the .