Before Blind Brook High School seniors head off to their senior prom on June 10, they'll gather for a community event on Birch Lane—one that may cause minor traffic headaches for residents in the area.

On Tuesday, the Rye Brook Village Board approved the event, which will take place from 4:15- 6 p.m. on Birch Lane, from Red Roof Drive to Old Orchard Road.

The event has become a tradition in Rye Brook and is an opportunity for students and their parents to gather together and take pictures and mingle before the prom.

Rye Brook Police Chief Greg Austin said the police will place barricades and temporarily close the streets that will host the pre-prom event to maximize parking for the many limousines and buses carrying students.

The temporary road closure drew concern from some residents, namely Richard and Wendy Lubkin, who live on Red Roof Drive and wrote an email to the board that Rye Brook Administrator Chris Bradbury read at Tuesday's meeting.

"For better or for worse, our little neighborhood, including the primary cul de sac adjacent to Pine Ridge Park, has become the central node for our village," they said. "This is not a bad thing but we need to recognize that certain issues arise. When events do occur, especially those involving village youth. The village needs to be vigilant regarding matters of public safety."

"We can all agree that the mixture of automobiles and multitude of pedestrians is a risky combination," they added.

The Lubkins also expressed concern about the inconvenience the event may cause to residents.

"It's one thing to ask residents to host these events, it's another to restrict us to or from our homes during these times," the Lubkins said. They also said they supported the temporary road closure for the event, but that police should allow residents to travel to and from their homes freely if they show identification.

The original resolution authorizing the event did not call for an off-duty policy officer to be present at the pre-prom gathering, but the board amended the the resolution to require the hiring of an off-duty police officer to ensure public safety, which costs at minimum $150.

To minimize any inconvenience to residents of Red Roof Drive and the surrounding streets that will be barricaded during the event, the police will make sure that residents have access to their homes, as well. 

Mayor Joan Feinstein said she wants students to enjoy the prom while making sure that the village does not inconvenience residents. She said having an off-duty police officer at the event was a good idea "to balance the desire to have the pre-prom there, but also being sensitive to the needs of the residents. For two hours, we don't know their schedule, they could be coming and going, so I think that's a really nice compromise."