Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Construction And Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents push Hastings board to pause Burke construction and turf work amid PFAS, safety and communication concerns
Summary
Multiple public commenters asked the board to stop or pause work on Burke Estate and the turf contract, citing PFAS test results, specification-language loopholes and immediate safety concerns for children who use Burke as a walking route; board members pledged to review fencing, coordinate with police and clarify communications.
Public comment at the board meeting shifted from routine items to two heated community concerns: the district's start of construction at Burke Estate (which will be fenced and undergo a full renovation to replace turf/fields) and objections from residents who say the turf bid may not meet the promise that the product is PFAS-free.
Several residents asked the board to halt work on the turf contract and to rebid with unambiguous specifications after they presented third-party testing and raised questions about consulting reports relied upon by the district. Christy Weatherford told the board she had sought independent experts and urged the district to "stop construction and address this contradiction before it becomes permanent." Another commenter said the board had "closed their ears" to community evidence and asked for a full accounting and a pause while the PFAS questions are resolved.
Separately, parents and neighbors said they had not known the Burke path would close immediately with the start of construction and warned that many elementary-age children use that route daily. "It seems like nothing's been put in place to make Broadway safer for the kids who will inevitably take Broadway to get to school," parent Susie O'Conor told the board, citing cars, the lack of sidewalks and her own concern for younger children.
Administrators and board members responded that the site must be fenced because construction areas cannot be made safe for pedestrian cut-throughs; they said the business official had been told fencing would be up within days. The district's business official, Marine Carbalo, said she visited the site and would press the contractor to erect construction fencing and prominent signage immediately. The superintendent and trustees pledged to: (1) review the precise fencing/perimeter on site the next day; (2) coordinate with the village and police about possible temporary traffic-slowing measures or police presence during arrival/dismissal times; and (3) send clearer, targeted communications to affected families once the perimeter is confirmed.
Board members emphasized they will not create ad-hoc walkways through active construction and cautioned about liability if the district or contractor created unsafe temporary paths. They also said the district will investigate specification language and procurement records related to the turf contract and promised to return with clarifying material and timeline.
No board action to stop work was taken at the meeting; administrators said they would follow up with the community after the on-site review and would provide updated guidance to families.
