Politics & Government

Dem Lawmakers Not Ready to Support SPI Playland Plan

Following Astorino's announcement that the county will sign a contract with SPI this month, some legislators say they are not ready to lend their support.

Although Westchester County will soon sign a contract with Sustainable Playland Inc. to assume management of the county-owned Playland Park in Rye, the entire plan remains at significant risk of failing.  If the County Board of Legislators (BOL) does not approve SPI’s final plan by Jan. 1, 2014, the non-profit group will not be able to move forward with their transition process.

Following County Executive Rob Astorino’s announcement Thursday that the county Board of Contract and Acquisition will sign a contract with SPI by mid-April, several Democratic BOL members stated they are not ready to support the agreement and plan. The BOL but they will need to approve SPI’s Playland Improvement Plan, to be submitted to Astorino thirty days after the agreement is signed.

The unsupportive lawmakers would not comment directly on the agreement because they had yet received it as of Thursday afternoon. But they have been speaking out against SPI’s plan since Astorino first announced he picked them last October. They are troubled by whether the agreement is valid under the county charter, although Astorino emphasized that it is. They have also expressed concern over SPI’s financial plan, which relies on investors to fund the $34 million of planned improvements to the park. SPI will open the park all year, add a great lawn, restaurants, indoor sports fields, and will renovate and reorganize parts of the park to become six different zones (read about the zones here). Some legislators believe the proposal will destroy some of the nostalgic attractions and rides.

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Astorino told the press at a news conference Thursday that the plan “keeps all the great things about Playland,” and provides a way for the county to maintain ownership of the park without the responsibility of making it profitable for the taxpayers who fund it. “The county does not have the money (to run an amusement park) and we have proved that we can’t run an amusement park,” Astorino said.

 “The deal with Sustainable is a bad one for a simple reason: It will destroy Playland rather than enhance it,” said Legislator Alfreda Williams (D-Greenburgh). “I’m not opposed to an outside group investing in and running Playland. But I cannot support any proposed agreement that throws away decades of taxpayer dollars as it tears down County assets, removes rides and replaces parking spaces with ball fields. This won’t improve the quality of life here in Westchester at all. In addition, this group cannot substantiate whether it can maintain any management agreement they sign.”

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Astorino called the legislators' opposition to the SPI plan at attempt at “political paralysis” and emphasized that if they do not agree to SPI’s proposed changes, the entire project will fall through.

In the meantime, the BOL is still in the midst of its due diligence of the four top proposals. Legislator Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining), chair of the BOL Government Operations Committee, has been holding a series of meetings regarding the different merits and problems associated with the top four proposals made to “reinvent” Playland. Also, an audit of the four proposals is soon forthcoming.

 “I’m disappointed the County Executive is determined to force through this very questionable arrangement,” said Legislator Bill Ryan (D-White Plains).  “No one should kid themselves: What the County Executive wants will be the beginning of the end to our historic Playland Amusement Park as we have known and enjoyed it over the years.”

The lawmakers plan to discuss the situation further during the next Committee of the Whole meeting. 

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What do you think of the Sustainable Plan and the political conflict surrounding it? Please share your thoughts in the comments. 


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