Community Corner
City Drops Ball on County and SPI
City Drops Ball on County and SPI
Reprinted from the March 21 Rye Record
As Mayor, the County Executive (and candidate for Governor) and I worked very closely together on three transformational initiatives that were in Rye’s best long-term interests. First, flood mitigation, to reduce the impact of upstream storm-water runoff on downstream Rye to include the funding and construction of the Bowman Avenue Sluice gate in 2013, and the funding and expansion of storm-water catch basins at Westchester County Airport planned for 2015. Second, affordable housing to include the completion of 22 units at Cottage Street in 2013 and 44 senior units planned at Theodore Fremd. Both meet the requirements of the consent decree with the Federal government as well as Rye’s longstanding affordable housing plans. Finally, Playland, to re-invent the park to meet the recreation and entertainment needs of today’s Westchester families to include playing fields, a field house, an expanded ice facility, historic rides and more.
Unfortunately, the first act of the new Rye City Council was to take a step to litigate the County over Playland rather than collaborate with them – putting all of the hard work and progress at risk. At the Board of Legislators (BOL) meeting at Westchester County for public comment on Sustainable Playland’s (SPI) improvement plan, Rye residents voiced both support and concern for the project. While no elected officials from Rye attended, I restated my position for BOL consideration:
Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
- An Advisory Opinion – Neighboring Rye residents raise valid concerns about the size of the field house. The BOL and SPI should be willing to review an advisory opinion from the Rye Planning Commission or a consultant as part of the planning review. One is long overdue and should have been delivered by now.
- Pedestrian and Traffic Improvements – Based on a traffic review, pedestrian improvements along the Playland Parkway should be incorporated in the capital plan of the County.
- Inter-Municipal Agreement – Given the need for additional municipal services, there should be an impact fee incorporated between the County and the City. Not property taxes similar to the Council’s failed attempt to extract property taxes from Rye Town, but an agreed upon fee for any police, fire or City services.
Find out what's happening in Ryewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The SPI project brings great promise to Rye with much needed recreation space that meets a long-standing need, particularly with the explosion of girls’ sports teams and leagues. The City needs to get back to engaging the County, BOL, SPI, and the public to influence the project in Rye’s best long-term interests, not insert lawyers at a time when public leadership is needed instead.
— Douglas French,
Former Mayor, City of Rye