WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. March 19, 2014 UPDATED MARCH 21, 4:30 P.M. E.D.T.:

A capacity crowd of concerned residents turned out WEDNESDAYevening for a Public Hearing regarding the Playland Improvement Plan, which was held in the Chambers of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) here in the Michaelian Office Building.

To view a video of the Public Hearing, click this link.

The Public Hearing is part of a review being directed by Legislator Pete Harckham (D-North Salem), chair of the BOL Labor/Parks/Planning/Housing Committee (LPPH), which is focused on the proposal from Sustainable Playland, Inc. (SPI) to revitalize Playland, Westchester’s iconic 280-acre recreation area and amusement park, as outlined in their Playland Improvement Plan (PIP).

More than 21 persons spoke about the PIP, both in favor and against, and many of the speakers submitted copies of their comments to Harckham and the LPPH, which will become part of the public record.

“I’m pleased that a number of residents attended this public hearing tonight, at this early point in the Board of Legislators’ evaluation of the Playland Improvement Plan,” said Harckham. “Playland has been a big part of County life for more than eight decades, so it’s prudent to examine any proposed changes and consider what is best for all of Westchester.”

Many residents at the hearing tonight made reference to the new Field House that is proposed in the PIP.  Two weeks ago Harckham brought together the executive staff of  SPI and members of the Astorino Administration for the BOL committee review of the PIP, and SPI officially announced that the Field House planned for Playland, Westchester’s iconic 280-acre recreation area and amusement park, had been scaled back from 95,000 square feet to 82,000 square feet.

Others spoke about environmental issues related to possible changes on the Playland property, which includes a tidal marsh and Long Island Sound shoreline. Loss of parking and the size of the Field House caused dismay in some speakers, while added opportunities for year-round sport activities, like soccer and lacrosse, pleased several speakers. A number of residents at the hearing agreed that any changes at Playland should be well thought out and beneficial to taxpayers.

“As the County Legislator who has Playland in my district, I understand both sides of the issue here,” said Legislator Catherine Parker (D-Rye). “Whatever we decide, it will make some in my district very unhappy. I’m going to do what I believe is right for my constituents and the county residents. However, there are some lingering questions that must be answered before I can give the Playland plan my approval.”

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WPCNR FBI WIRE. From the Federal Bureau of Investigation. March 18, 2014:

Ralik Hansen has been charged in the brazen midday robbery of Cartier in midtown Manhattan on January 30, 2014, and is being sought by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department. Hansen is wanted for his participation in at least two other robberies in New Jersey and Virginia.

Hansen is a black male, 6’1’’ tall, approximately 205 pounds, and 28 years old. He was last seen with a shaved head and has noticeable scars on his left wrist and left elbow.

He is known to frequent several locations in Brooklyn and is commonly referred to “Rahlik” or “Rah.” Hansen is a member of a violent interstate robbery crew from Brooklyn and has family in the state of Georgia and the county of Panama.

Ralik Hansen pictured in the Cartier jewelry store in Manhattan in January

A significant reward is available for a tip that results in an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

Hansen should be considered armed and extremely dangerous.

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WPCNR PLAYLAND PLAY-BY-PLAY. From Sustainable Playland. March 13, 2014:

Sustainable Play Inc. (SPI) said today that an amended plan significantly reducing the size of the building and at the same time increasing the number of parking spaces at the site has been submitted to Westchester County.

The revision to the plan was developed in conjunction with Playland Sports, the owner/operator of the Field Zone proposed for the park.

An Amendment to the Playland Improvement Plan (PIP) providing the details of the changes was provided to the Westchester County Executive’s office, which, in turn, submitted it to the County Board of Legislators which is currently reviewing the PIP.  The legislators are charged with approving major changes to the County-owned park.

In the amended plan, the Field House is reduced by 13 percent, from 95,000 to 82,500 square feet, while the number of parking spaces increases by 100. The initial concept for a Field Zone to be created by using a portion of Playland’s sprawling asphalt parking lot was presented in SPI’s initial submission to County Executive Rob Astorino’s 2010 Request for Proposals to Reinvent Playland for the 21^st Century. 

Since that time the footprint for this component of the park has been reduced by more than 50 percent, from 10.16 to 4.86 acres.  Concurrently, 615 parking spaces that would have been lost under the larger footprint will be retained.

Playland Sports emphasized that 82,500 square feet is the minimum size required for the Field House to be economically viable.

The reduction was achieved by reducing the space devoted to offices and other ancillary areas.  The size of the indoor as well as the facility’s two outdoor sports fields cannot be reduced because their dimensions are determined by regulations established for specific sports including lacrosse and soccer.

The 35-foot high Field House has been positioned and designed to line up with the existing County maintenance buildings that are of a similar height and which will remain at the western edge of the parking lot serving as a buffer between the Field Zone and the adjacent residential area.

Its construction, which can be completed in approximately six months, will meet all FEMA requirements.  The outdoor fields will have a permeable surface allowing water to drain through as opposed to the current impermeable asphalt surface of the parking lot.

The parking lot was sized in an effort to accommodate visitors to the historic amusement park which opened in 1928 on the busiest days of the summer season:  Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July and Labor Day weekend.   At other times during the summer season and during the other nine months of the year the parking lot largely sits empty.  The Field Zone can be accommodated by using a limited portion of the excess asphalted area.

Field Zone activities will be curtailed on the highest traffic days to make its parking spaces available for amusement park visitors.

Market analysis by Playland Sports has demonstrated a strong demand for indoor and outdoor athletic field space both locally and across Westchester.  Representatives of a wide range of youth sports leagues representing more than 5,000 participants have addressed both the County Board of Legislators and Rye City officials regarding the dire lack of field space particularly for youth sports.

They have strongly endorsed the Field Zone concept at Playland and urged that the plan be allowed to go forward.  Playland Sports initially considered a 78,000-square-foot Field House but based on market demand had increased the size to 95,000 square feet which has now been trimmed to 82,500.

SPI was selected from among 12 respondents to the RFP.  In 2012 Astorino signed a 10-year Asset Management Agreement with SPI. The PIP prepared by SPI that is currently before the Board of Legislators focuses on the first year of SPI management.  It is expected that SPI will assume management of Playland this fall.  The County Park Departments will continue to operate and maintain the park for the 2014 season.

SPI’s approach to Playland calls for making the park a year-round destination with a variety of components to create a more balanced and non-weather dependent revenue stream.  The publicly operated amusement park, the only one of its kind in the nation, has been losing money and visitors in recent years.   Astorino sought to remedy that by privatizing the operation and bringing in new ideas for making the park more sustainable.  SPI is a non-for-profit that was created to submit an RFP response with the goal of assuming management responsibilities.  A professional management company will be hired to verse day-to-day operations and deal directly with the various operators.  The management company would report to SPI.

In addition to the Field Zone, the other components of the park under SPI’s plan are the historic Amusement Zone to be operated by Central Amusements International (CAI);  the Ice Casino which is slated to reopen for fall 2014 following repairs from damage sustained in Hurricane Sandy; the Beach/Aquatic Zone to be operated by CAI;  the Great Lawn on the Sound to be created on the east side of the Amusement Zone; and the Westchester Children’s Museum that is now under construction in the former North Bathhouse on Playland’s refurbished boardwalk.  A number of new year-round restaurants will be added as the revitalization efforts move forward.

For further information go to www.SustainablePlayland.org

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. By John F. Bailey. March 12, 2014: 

A spokesman for Sustainable Playland informed WPCNR today that Sustainable Playland does not expect “to receive the keys to Playland” until September 1. Labor Day or after, effectively meaning the county will be running Playland this summer and more significantly running it at another year of losses due to the legislature inaction on the plan.

(The County Board of Legislators  Labor Parks Planning Housing Committee continues to analyze the Sustainable Playland proposal which the legislature has had for three years.)

Geof Thompson, spokesperson for Sustainable clarified that contrary to a news release put out by the Committee yesterday, new rides would begin to be added to Playland beginning year one of the Sustainable takeover beginning with Kiddyland and moving on from there. Previously, a news release from the Westchester County Committee analyzing the Sustainable Playland proposal has said that the Sustainable vendor which would add the rides would not be adding them for four years.

(To wit from the Committee Press Release: At Wednesday’s Labor Parks Planning Housing Committee meeting of the Board of Legislators, legislators learned that Central Amusements International (CAI), which SPI is contracting to run the amusements and “Aqua Zone” at Playland, will wait until Year 4 in the PIP to totally remake the beach front area with water rides and other attractions.
Harckham announced last month an ambitious schedule for the PIP review in the LPPH Committee, culminating with a committee vote on May 13, 2014. Next Tuesday LPPH Committee members will make a Playland site visit to see where the Field House will be erected, and also to see how much of the Parking Lot will be affected by the renovations and new structures.)

Thompson clarified that the three outdoor fields proposed for the present Playland Parking Lot have been cut to two and the field house will remain at 35 feet in height, but be 15% smaller in area, with the same number of indoor fields inside.

Asked if Sustainable financials have changed with the county have changed, (previously, Sustainable was to have paid the county $2.5 Million this year to defray the Playland debt service), Thompson said this is not clear that it would be presented to the county finance committee.

Nevertheless, if the county is stuck with operating Playland in summer 2014, it means the county legislature by its inaction the last three years on the proposal to date has cost the taxpayers another year of Playland alleged losses.

Apparently, the vote if it actually takes place May 5, is coming too late to get the county off the financial hook for Playland in 2014

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WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From the New York Attorney General’s Westchester Office Assistant N.Y. Attorney General In Charge,Gary Brown March 11, 2014:

Assistant N.Y. Attorney  General  Gary Brown (who is in charge of the New York Attorney General Westchester Office announced on Radio WVOX today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the White Plains Department of Public Safety will stage a no-questions gun buyback program at the White Plains Fire Headquarters from 9:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Saturday morning March 22. The Attorney General Office has confirmed this morning that the date is March 22 .

Mr. Brown said all guns are acceptable and those turning in firearms will be paid in debit cards. Mr. Brown announced the news at the close of his radio program this afternoon on WVOX Radio. Details will be forthcoming.

In previous New York Attorney General Gun Buybacks, the process worked this way:

During the buyback program, people will be paid with debit cards when they turn in a gun to law enforcement officers. Each gun turned in will be screened before any money is given out. Guns must be transported to their drop-off site unloaded and in plastic or paper bags or boxes.

Antique and nonworking firearms will net $25. People will be paid $50 for rifles and shotguns and $75 for handguns. Those turning in assault weapons will receive $100. Licensed gun dealers and active or retired law enforcement officers are not eligible for the program.

Attorney General of New York, Eric Schneiderman in announcing the New York State gun buy back program previously said:

“By encouraging gun owners to turn in their weapons through our cash-for-guns program, we’re removing deadly firearms from locations where they can be stolen or otherwise misused, keeping them out of the wrong hands.”