At the Byram Neighborhood Association’s quarterly meeting on Tuesday, there was discussion about after-hours use of the parking lot at New Lebanon School. In attendance was First Selectman Fred Camillo, DPW commissioner Jim Michel, and Community Impact Officer assigned to Byram, Greenwich Police Community Impact Officer Sgt Keith Hirsch.
Hirsch, who is retiring in June after 27 years, said New Lebanon School was not unique for having the community use its parking lot after hours.
Everybody goes to the high school parking lot to teach their kids to drive,” Hirsch said. “Me too.”
“We are aware that there is an issue,” Hirsch continued. “We’ve had 10 incidents since January 1, 2024 to St Patrick’s Day this year. We can’t address them if you don’t call us.”
Hirsch urged residents to call the police to report incidents, but to bear in mind that police are busy and there is still an ongoing problem with motor vehicle thefts.
The parking lot at New Lebanon School is unique in that it is adjacent to residential homes and lit at night.
New Lebanon School school parking lot lit at night. Contributed photo
Hirsch, who has been on the force for 27 years, introduced Officer Sabrina Diaz and Sergeant Ryan Carino. He said officer Diaz would be an asset to Byram because she is bilingual, speaking fluent Spanish.
Hirsch acknowledged that signage on school properties was not always consistent, even within the same school property, and said that Brent Reeves, the director of security for the Board of Education, was working over the summer with DPW-HWY signs and lines staff with the goal of uniformity in signage.
“A lot of the time, the kids there are from your own neighborhood,” Hirsch said. “There are kids there after hours because we get calls. And we have adults.”
Neighbors said some of the activities in the parking lot included adult group skateboarding events with participants arriving by car and setting up for several
hours at a time.
Neighbors also relayed a particular incident where police responded to a complaint about an individual on a motorbike, but the offender fled, almost hitting three pedestrians in the process.
Byram resident Walter Rojowsky said there had been incidents with cars using the school parking lot as a race track, speeding and doing donuts.
“We recognize that police can’t be there all the time. We’ve been talking about this for five years,” he said. “It’s getting old to play the role of night watchman.”
There was also mention of noise, cursing, littering and loitering along the fence line dividing the school property from residential properties. Other concerns included vandalism and cars in the lot playing loud music. A neighbor said people engage in romantic activities, smoke marijuana, and vandalize school property.
Some suggestions to dissuade the undesirable activities included adding a stop sign at entrance to parking lot, altering the surface of the parking lot, and adding bollards.
There was also a suggestion that at dusk a chain go across the parking lot entry.
Motorbike in the New Lebanon School parking lot. Contributed photo
Dirt bike in the New Lebanon School parking lot. Contributed photo
Skateboarding course in the New Lebanon School parking lot. Contributed photo
Wheelies in the New Lebanon School parking lot. Contributed photo
CIO Hirsch said there had been only 10 calls to police about incidents in the parking lot between Jan 1, 2024 to March 17, 2025
He said if there was a chain across the parking lot that would impede police access.
“We’re not going to be able to sit in the parking lot for 8 hours,” he said. “When they’re on patrol we highly suggest that officers go into those parking lots to write their reports. Their office is their car. It’s all done in their car with their laptops.”
Hirsch said school and church parking lots were ideal because they afford the officer a 365° view around their patrol car to know if someone is approaching.
BNA chair Liz Eckert asked if police patrols were checking the parking lot on a regular basis.
Hirsch said the lots were patrolled regularly, but not on an exact schedule.
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First Selectman Camillo said Ms Eckert had asked about the possibility of assigning a bicycle patrol officer to Byram.
He said the bicycle police on Greenwich Avenue have been nimble and able to respond quickly.
“They are terrific and address every criminal incident,” he said.
“Our plan is to do one in Old Greenwich and one in Byram. It’s not an issue of getting money for the bikes. It’s a manpower issue.”
Camillo said it was important for residents with a complaint to call the police, not his office.
He noted the traffic coming from Port Chester, NY, was increasing the congestion in Byram.
Residents asked if it was possible to prohibit public entry to the school parking lot after dusk, post accompanying signage, and install security cameras.
They suggested the campus lighting be limited to discourage nighttime activity.
New Lebanon School parking lot illuminated after dark. Contributed photo
Residents have complained in public meetings for years about speeding vehicles and numerous crashes on Delavan Avenue and its side streets, as well as non residents taking up limited on street parking.
Mr. Camillo said he had a good relationship and frequent contact with Port Chester Mayor Luis Marino and Village Manager Stuart Rabin.
He said he had mentioned the possibility of Greenwich closing the Mill Street Bridge when he testified before the Port Chester Planning Board in 2019 about the proposal for “Tarry Lighthouse.”
At the time, the Port Chester Planning board was considering the proposal for a nine story building, which later was reduced to six stories and today is nearing completion. At the Sept 2019 hearing in Port Chester, Camillo was joined by the BNA’s Al Shehadi, among others, voicing concern about an anticipated increased traffic through Byram.
Tarry Lighthouse fills an entire block of Port Chester just over the Mill Street Bridge, a block from Greenwich
View from Port Chester toward Byram over the Mill Street Bridge. Photo: Leslie Yager
As for the possibility of Greenwich closing the Mill Street Bridge, Camillo recalled, “I threw it out there, that if we feel the traffic is going to add to already congested area here, I said we may have to consider closing the bridge. I don’t know if we can because of inter-state commerce, it straddles the line of two states. They didn’t respond.”
“But that, to me, would bring back the village feel because we wouldn’t have that many cars coming through here. Twenty years ago it was bad and it’s getting worse. Keep that option open.”
Camillo pointed out that not everyone in Greenwich would want the bridge closed. However, he said, “I’m happy to discuss that with Mayor Marino and Stuart Rabin.”
A resident suggested making the bridge one-way.
Rosemary Tillinghast said that on Cedar Street, a dead-end in Byram, drivers jam on their breaks before they turn around. She said the situation was dangerous because the street is home to several young children. She also complained that police cars frequently park in the church parking lot and appear to ignore trucks parked illegally on the sidewalk.
“If you feel it’s that urgent, you need to call Greenwich police,” Camillo said.
Sgt Carino said a recent sting operations had resulted in arrests for illegal products at smoke shops in Byram.
“We are on top of it,” Carino said.
Clare Kilgallen asked about visibility through the windows of smoke shops.
“Many of their windows are almost 90% obscured,” she said. “Could there be regulations for storefronts where a certain amount of visibility must exist?”
Camillo said he would follow up with the Greenwich zoning dept on that question.
“We may want to go further than that,” Camillo said. “I’m all for small business but the town really needs to decide if that’s in the purview of zoning.”
John Macri Jr said speeding was an issue as well as illegally parked cars because people want a quick place to park to drop off or pick up students at New Lebanon School, run into the Firehouse Deli or visit one of the smoke shops.
He said traffic calming measures might not change behavior.
“It’s an entitlement thing,” he said. “We’re trying to come up with a way to change their behavior….They seem to have it in their head that if they’re late to work they’re going to speed, or I’m going to pick up my kids so I’m going to drive fast. I’m trying to figure out ways to change their behavior.”
Someone mentioned concerns about recent illegal fireworks incident, but enforcement of the speed limit was first and foremost.
Ms Eckert said a small village on the way to Copake, NY was similar to Byram.
“Every person knows you don’t go over 25mph there. That’s what I’d like to see on Delavan – if we could really have an enforcement of our laws,” she said.
DPW commissioner Jim Michel announced the Army Corps of Engineers had scheduled a public meeting about the Byram River Bridge project on April 22 at 7:00pm in the town hall meeting room.
Note: Attribution for a quote about traffic calming was updated to reflect it was made by John Macri Jr.
See also:
Port Chester Planning Commission: ‘Pump the Brakes’ on 9-Story Tarry Lighthouse
Oct 1, 2019
Greenwich Residents Rail Against Port Chester Multi Story Apartment Building
December 20, 2019