Pleasantville Village Board Work Session: Playground, Camp Scholarships, Parking Enforcement, and Outdoor Seating — April 15, 2025

The Pleasantville Village Board of Trustees held a work session on April 15, 2025. Although the agenda and transcript list the meeting as April 14, the official timestamp used for this summary is April 15. Trustees discussed Soldiers and Sailors playground reconstruction, summer camp scholarships, parking and traffic enforcement, and outdoor seating on Washington Avenue. An executive session on real property and legal matters was scheduled for 8:30 p.m.; the regular meeting and budget public hearing were planned for 8 p.m., with County Executive Ken Jenkins expected to attend.

Soldiers and Sailors Playground Reconstruction and Summer Camp Scholarships

• Parks and Recreation Superintendent Michael Newman presented the Soldiers and Sailors playground reconstruction plan. The equipment will come from Landscape Structures, similar to what was installed at Nanny, with each of the three playgrounds unique and inclusive features added at Soldiers.
• The project is budgeted at $170,000. A $275,000 grant, split across the three playgrounds, will contribute $91,000; the balance will be covered by parkland reserve funds and reimbursed through the grant.
• Demolition is tentatively scheduled for September, with the final community build planned for the second weekend in October.
• The playground will remain in the same footprint; bleachers, fencing, and swing locations are unchanged.

Camp scholarship discussion:

• Mr. Newman reported 9 senior camp applications ($7,695 in foregone tuition) and 6 team travel camp applications ($11,810 in foregone tuition), for a total of 15 applicants and $19,505 in foregone tuition.
• Funding will come from $7,000 raised through the CM account and $13,000 allocated by the board, covering the full amount.
• Trustees discussed refining eligibility (e.g., free vs. subsidized lunch), whether to exclude team travel camp to help more families, and whether a small co-pay could expand reach. Mr. Newman noted all applicants already paid a $100-per-session deposit; board members did not support refunding those deposits.
• No applicants were turned down this year; the only prior rejection mentioned was an applicant outside the village. Future plans may include a durable annual fundraising program and a full-day junior camp option.

Parking and Traffic Enforcement

• Police Chief Erik Grutzner reported enhanced parking enforcement focused on changing driver behavior rather than generating revenue. Enforcement includes evening patrols on Wheeler Avenue, Washington Avenue, and Memorial Plaza, with targeted coverage on Friday and Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m., and at least one officer in the downtown area during the 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. lunch period.
• Repeat offenders who leave vehicles all day after receiving one ticket may face double ticketing for extended overstays.
• Dedicated enforcement has been in place at the Manville Road R.S. school pickup area for roughly a month to six weeks. Ashland Avenue is in the daily enforcement rotation, and the Ashland/Bedford Road corner is a priority due to safety hazards for children crossing.
• Trustee Jonathan Cunningham suggested notifying businesses door-to-door about the increased enforcement and reassigning a less-busy crossing guard post to free up a parking enforcement officer. The Chief responded that crossing guard expectations must be maintained and that manpower comes at a cost.

Outdoor Seating on Washington Avenue

• The board had previously agreed to continue outdoor seating in front of Seoul. This discussion centered on Vela, with a majority of trustees opposed to returning outdoor seating there because the space is used mainly at night, is not a public gathering spot, and would eliminate three parking spaces.
• Some trustees noted the Seoul space functions as a public space and benefits multiple businesses. A bookstore owner and village resident had previously asked the board to preserve those parking spaces for daytime visitors.
• Options discussed included signage clarifying that the Seoul seating is open to everyone, possible small tables for two at Vela, and retractable bollards. The Washington Avenue intersection has been reprogrammed, with trustees reporting improved traffic flow, and a traffic engineering study is planned.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during the work session.
• The board reached consensus supporting the playground reconstruction plan and the use of grant and reserve funds.
• The board confirmed the $13,000 additional allocation for camp scholarships, covering all 15 applicants.
• The board decided not to re-establish outdoor seating at Vela; Seoul's outdoor seating will continue as in the past.
• An executive session on real property and legal matters was scheduled at 8:30 p.m.