Glen Rock planning board backs expanded high-school press box with security and aesthetics conditions

The Glen Rock Planning Board voted Sept. 4 to support the Glen Rock Board of Education’s proposal to remove and rebuild the football press box at Allen Diet Field, expanding the structure from about 192 square feet to roughly 326 square feet and raising the architectural height from about 19 feet to 30 feet. The board’s support included recommendations that the district secure rooftop access during off-hours, select neutral exterior finishes to reduce neighborhood impact, and consider an alarm system.

The project was presented by Josh Thompson, a senior associate with Peret Sanjuna Architects. Thompson said the existing press box will be removed and replaced in the same location on the Radburn side of the field, expanded laterally to create four internal bays to accommodate stadium public-address functions, TV broadcast and space for home and away coaches. "It's going to increase to 42 feet," Thompson said, describing the expanded footprint and four separate bays. He also described a new rear stair and a covered roof deck intended to protect camera equipment.

Thompson told the board the team plans to reuse the existing electrical feed with a new breaker, reinstall speakers and security cameras on the new press box, and install local fire-control devices that will not be tied into the school's main fire alarm "because of distance and cost." "It will have local fire control only," he said. He also said each bay will use a PTAC (package terminal air-conditioner) rather than a rooftop system and that the prefabricated steel-and-aluminum structure will be supplied by Southern Bleacher.

Board members raised several concerns during a detailed Q&A. Members asked how rooftop access would be controlled; Thompson said the plans do not currently show a locked gate on the stair and that access-control measures are a district decision, noting some districts install a swing gate at the stair and rely on a staff point of contact when equipment is onsite. One board member warned that an unsecured roof could present a safety risk: "Someone could get up there and pick people off," the member said, urging that access be secured when the facility is not staffed. Thompson said doors will be lockable and that production equipment will be stored inside when not in use.

Other questions covered exterior lighting (none proposed), burglar alarm plans (not specified; district security anticipated to address), sightlines and siding color (Thompson said color is to be determined and should be chosen to blend with adjacent properties), and landscaping to partially screen the press box. Thompson cautioned that plantings must not interfere with field practice areas or electrical pull-box access. He estimated the press box sits about 100 feet from the fence line and confirmed no new stormwater system or seepage pit is planned; roof runoff would be directed to the adjacent practice field surface.

Board staff summarized the record of concerns as focusing on rooftop access control, exterior lighting, alarm systems, aesthetics, landscape placement, and emergency-services access. After discussion the board moved to support the project with the stated recommendations. The motion passed on a roll-call vote with the members present recorded as voting yes.

Thompson said the press box is prefabricated and that lead times meant the district planned a summer 2026 installation; he estimated 16–18 weeks from order for delivery, with bidding and shop drawings to follow. The board set a schedule for follow-up review and will forward its recommendations to the governing body as part of the permitting and contractor selection process.

Next steps: the board’s motion directs the district to address rooftop access controls, clarify alarm and security plans, and pursue exterior finishes and landscape approaches that reduce visibility from Radburn Avenue while avoiding interference with practice activities. The Planning Board’s next regular meeting was set for Oct. 6, 2025.