The Playland Strategic Planning Committee presented recommendations to the Rye City Council on Wednesday outlining principles that should guide the county as its continues its request for proposals to “reinvent Playland.”

Charles Dorn, chairman of the committee, said that it was difficult to gather a consensus from Rye residents about what the park should become. However, based on feedback the committee received from residents, there were several principles that had community support, Dorn said.

“I couldn’t give you a single idea that across the board everybody was in favor of,” he said. “[But] There are a set of values here that are important to Rye.”

He said that depending on whom you asked, residents were either in support of maintaining the amusement park portion of Playland, while others said the county should get rid of it. Others have argued that the Westchester Children’s Museum, which is currently seeking a lease at Playland’s historic bathhouses, would be a welcomed addition to the park, while some residents think the museum is occupying prime real estate that could be used for a different endeavor. 

Because opinions varied widely, Dorn said the committee sought to identify principles and values—rather than one vision—that should be applied to the RFP. The five principles he outlined were:

• Playland is first and foremost a public resource that should be used for the benefit of Rye and county residents. Any proposals should preserve public use, open space and access to the Long Island Sound.
• Any proposal must include environmental considerations and preserve the integrity of Edith Read Sanctuary, Playland Lake and the Long Island Sound. Sewage, solid waste, noise and visual pollution, as well as congestion and energy efficiency are all important considerations.
• Any future use of the park also should consider its designation as a National Historic Landmark.
• Proposals should be financially responsible and have long-term sustainability. This does not mean that the park should necessarily turn a profit, but there should be a reasonable expectation that some amount of taxpayer dollars will be needed to fund and maintain the park.
• Proposals also should adhere to Rye’s long established zoning ordinances, which take into consideration any impact on neighborhoods near the park and the entire city. 

In response to the recommendations, Councilman Joe Sack said it was premature for the city to make any declarative statements about what it would want for Playland. He said it would be best for the city to wait until it knows exactly what proposals have been submitted to the county.

“My concern is that what we’re setting ourselves up for is that we’re committing to standards that might be used against us into committing to something we do not want,” he said.

Sack instead proposed a one-sentence resolution: The City of Rye does not want anything that affects the character or quality of life in Rye.

Councilman Peter Jovanovich said that one sentence wasn’t enough to express the views of Rye residents. He said the committee’s recommendations included principles that could be a good rallying point for the community.

“This document is an excellent way of showing the views of the citizens of Rye. We have to have something to coalesce around,” he said.

Other City Council members suggested that some aspects of the recommendations’ language needed to be more forceful, especially concerning Rye’s zoning policy. Deputy Mayor Paula Gamache said she was unsure of what course the city should take.

“Should there be tougher language or should this be as general as this is to not put ourselves into a box?”

Other council members expressed fear about just how much public input would affect the county’s decisions about Playland. Both Sack and Councilwoman Suzanna Keith said the Tiki Bar 's recent expansion provided an example of how the county might handle residents’ concerns. Keith said that despite numerous letters expressing opposition from residents, the Tiki Bar was still granted additional lease space. The Tiki Bar is not a part of the RFP process, so whatever proposals are made for the park would not affect its current agreement with the county.

“The Tiki Bar is a great example of how the political process failed us. It’s a bad indicator of what might be awaiting us,” Sack said.

March 10 is the deadline for the county RFP. Though the county said it would not confirm the receipt of any proposals until after the deadline, a group called Playland Watch said it submitted the first proposal for Playland to the county on Feb. 2. 

More proposals likely will be submitted within the next month, including one from a Rye-based non-profit called Sustainable Playland that is seeking a public parkland solution for the park that encourages environmental sustainability.

In March, the City Council will vote on a resolution that will include many of the recommendations the Playland Strategic Planning Committee made on Wednesday. However, whether the concerns of Rye residents have any effect on the county’s plans for Playland won’t be determined until long after the RFP process ends.

Editor's Note: Both Sack and Councilwoman Suzanna Keith said the Tiki Bar's recent expansion provided an example of how the county might handle residents’ concerns. Keith said that despite opposition from residents, additional lease space for the Tiki Bar was still approved. An earlier version of the story implied that Keith named a specific county official.