NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The discrimination settlement between the United States Department of Education Office of Civil Rights and the New Rochelle Board of Education requires significant work be done to the planetarium at New Rochelle High School. The project provides an opportunity to see how favored contractors feed at the New Rochelle School District trough.
Investigators noted the following violations at the New Rochelle High School Planetarium, according to an Appendix attached to the Stipulation Agreement signed by Schools Superintendent Richard Organisciak.
Curb cut surface
The surface of the curb cut is uneven. The surface should be stable, firm and slip resistant.
Slope & cross-slope of the curb cut
The slope of the curb cut is 8.5%. The cross slope of the curb cut is 4.5%. The slope should be no greater than 8.33% and the cross slope should be no greater than 2%. Transitions from ramps to walks, gutters, or streets shall be flush and free of abrupt changes.
Maximum slopes of adjoining gutters, road surface immediately adjacent to the curb ramp, or accessible route shall not exceed 1:20.
Ramp to Building Entrance
The ramp’s slope was measured to be 13%, and its length was 93.5″ without a landing (7.75′). The slope should be no greater than 8.33%. The maximum rise for any run shall be 30 inch.
Landings
The width of the ramp landing is 60″ by 55″, and a diagonal turn is required to enter the planetarium through the exterior door that is located adjacent to the ramp landing. Ramps that change direction between runs at landings shall have a clear landing 60 inches (1525 mm) minimum by 60 inches (1525 mm) minimum.
Clear Width at Doors
The exterior entrance door to the planetarium IS 29.5″ wide. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees. measured between the face of the door and the opposite stop.
Handrails
Handrails did not extend the complete length of the ramp. If a ramp run has a rise greater than 6 inches (150 mm), then it must have handrails on both sides of the ramp that are continuous within the full length of the ramp run. The top of the gripping surfaces of handrails shall be 34 inches (865 mm) minimum and 38 inches (965 mm) maximum vertically above the ramp surface. The specific
height will remain consistent along the ramp run. Clearance between handrail gripping surfaces and adjacent surfaces shall be 1/2 inches (38 mm) minimum. Handrail gripping surfaces shall be continuous along their length and shall not be obstructed along their tops or sides. The bottoms of handrail gripping surfaces shall /lot be obstructed for more than 20 percent of their length. Ramp handrails shall extend horizontally above the landing for 12 inches (305 mm) minimum beyond the top and bottom of ramp runs. Extensions shall return to a wall, guard, or the landing surface, or shall be continuous to the handrail of all adjacent ramp run.Ground and Floor Surfaces
The ramp was made of concrete and had large cracks at the bottom and top of the ramp. Ground and Floor surfaces along accessible routes and in accessible rooms and spaces, including floors, walks, ramps, stairs and curb ramps shall be stable, finn, and slip-resistant.
Anthony M. Pucillo Architects was hired to prepare drawings for the New Rochelle High School Planetarium ADA compliance.
The work is expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars.
The New Rochelle Board of Education has not discussed the settlement agreement in a public meeting nor reviewed or approved a resolution authorizing expenditures for the work required under the agreement.
What the board did do was approve a resolution in May authorizing a series of 8 awards for maintenance mechanics work (carpentry, electrical, masonry, painting, plumbing and related labor). Essentially, a “blank check” for John Gallagher of Aramark to distribute work to his friends.
GRW Plumbing – $150,000
T & G Electric – $320,000
Zonzini Pipeline – $215,000
F & L Floorworks – $30,000
Edward Burke Plumbing and Heating – $50,000
Those familiar with the questionable awarding of contracts and no-bid “emergency work” by the New Rochelle Board of Education will certainly recognize those names.
The contractors are all managed by John Gallagher of Aramark, another name recognizable to Talk of the Sound readers. Inexplicably, Gallagher also carries the title of Director of Environmental Services at City School District of New Rochelle despite being an outside consultant for a publicly-traded corporation.
For those interested to understand the true nature of how taxpayer dollars are spent in New Rochelle, this deal offers as good an example as any.