Traffic Safety, Athletic Fields Topics for School, Town Officials

The traffic flow at the Bedwell Elementary and Bernardsville Middle School off Seney Drive and future planning for athletic fields are the scheduled topics for a scheduled meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday between the Somerset Hills Board of Education and Bernardsville Borough Council.

The meeting is scheduled to be held in the community room at at 25 Olcott Ave. in Bernardsville.

Somerset Hills Board Member Louis Palma last month said that concerns about traffic for parents trying to reach or drop off their children at the schools — which are accessed along municipal property along with the driveway leading directly to Bedwell — have been raised by the Home School Association.

He said that the parking lot for the Bernardsville pool also is used for school purposes. In addition, athletic facilities behind the pool also are accessed by the same driveway.

Palma said school officials would like to coordinate any solutions to traffic flow with borough officials.

Somerset Hills board business administrator Nancy Hunter said that the plan is to discuss traffic safety from 7 to 7:45 p.m.

Hunter said a discussion about shortage of athletic fields in the district is scheduled to begin at 7:45 p.m. She said it is possible that the school district could contribute financially toward the athletic fields.

Last November, also off Seney Drive, although borough officials said that the $1.25-million could be financed with out raising taxes. The vote was non-binding over officials' final decision.