Much needed improvements will begin early this summer at Nathanael Greene Middle School on Chalkstone Avenue. These improvements will focus on traffic and safety concerns, according to Ward 12 Councilman Terrence M. Hassett.

Hassett said that $100,000 in school improvement funds has been allocated for several projects at the school including:

• Construction of a third traffic lane (student lane) along Oakland Avenue for a student drop off and pick up area designed to relieve traffic jams and enhance the safety of students during commuting hours. The lane will replace a grassy area that is fraught with holes and mud patches.
   
• Resurfacing of the faculty and staff parking areas and restructuring of parking and fire lanes to maximize parking capacity.
   
• Landscaping improvements that will increase tree and flower plantings, as well as reduce soil erosion throughout the grounds, and new fencing that will encircle the campus.
   
• Safety cameras will be installed to monitor entrances and the perimeter of the building. 
   
• New trees will be planted in addition to the twenty-two that were planted last fall. 

“The construction of a new student lane along Oakland Avenue will enable parents to safely drop off and pick their children without blocking a lane of traffic,” said Hassett. “This will also alleviate many traffic problems that occur at the beginning and end of the school day.”

The councilman explained that the school parking lot has deteriorated and is in need of resurfacing. Hassett also stressed that the school grounds have been in need of a makeover for a number of years. Additionally, new fencing will promote the use of proper entrances and safeguard landscaping improvements.

Hassett said, “The investment is a sound one, considering the importance of a healthy and safe learning environment.”

Nathanael Greene Middle School is named for Warwick, RI born General Nathanael Greene, a Major General in the Revolutionary War and George Washington’s second in command.