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Community Corner

Astorino Calls on Leaders to End Legal Uncertainties Over Playland

Westchester County Executive Robert P. Astorino today called on the chairman of the Board of Legislators and the Mayor of Rye to meet with him to see if they can resolve the legal uncertainties hanging over plans to save Playland.

“For four years, our goal has been to save Playland,” Astorino said. “We have reached the point that litigation now threatens our improvement plans and the park itself. It is now time for elected leaders to do everything in their power to resolve the legal impediments that stand in the way of moving forward on saving Playland for future generations.”

Astorino’s call to BOL Chairman Michael Kaplowitz and Rye Mayor Joseph Sack was precipitated by a letter Monday night from Sustainable Playland, the Rye-based not-for-profit selected after an extensive Request for Proposals process to restore and run the park. In its letter, SPI says that after spending $600,000 to date, it does not have the monetary resources or manpower to be engaged in protracted legal battles on multiple fronts.

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“SPI is not a deep-pocketed corporation,” the letter states. “We are a group of citizens who came together with a civic mission to preserve one of the county’s greatest assets. As such it is neither realistic nor feasible to expect that SPI can remain committed to the project indefinitely.”

Specifically, the letter cites two actions that threaten its ability to continue:

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·         The unresolved lawsuit brought by Legislator Ken Jenkins in January against the County Executive and SPI.

·         The position taken by the City of Rye regarding issues of land use approvals, lead agency status and the SEQRA process.

Astorino said he hoped that meetings with Chairman Kaplowitz and Mayor Sack could be arranged within the next several days. He said that the discussions would take place within two parameters:

·         The status quo was not an option for Playland. An amusement park that costs county taxpayers $4 million to $5 million a year is not viable in today’s world given all the cost pressures on county government.

·         The county must maintain approval rights on its own property, otherwise it would open itself to legal challenges on every county property and facility every time a change or improvement is made.

“Working within these parameters, there’s wide flexibility for us to remove the legal clouds,” Astorino said. “Litigation helps no one. The goal is to preserve, protect and improve Playland. If we succeed everyone wins. If we fail, everyone loses.”

 

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