WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Board of Legislators. March 25, 2014:
Members of the Westchester County Board of Legislators (BOL) raised important questions today during a review of the Traffic and Parking Report for the revitalization of Playland at a meeting of the BOL Labor/Parks/Planning/Housing Committee (LPPH), chaired by Legislator Pete Harckham (D-North Salem).
Executives from Sustainable Playland, Inc. (SPI) attended the BOL committee meeting and imparted further details of their Playland Improvement Plan (PIP), which included several major changes to the traffic flow and parking capacity at Playland made necessary with the opening of a new, 82,000 square-foot Field House planned for Westchester’s iconic 280-acre recreation area and amusement park.
“The goal here is to ensure, through a collaborative and open process, that Playland is a financial success for all the stakeholders, especially the county’s taxpayers,” said Harckham. “The proposed changes to the park need to be made in consideration of a number of questions and different factors. We’re on the right track toward getting the answers we need so the Committee’s analysis can go forward.”
During today’s presentation the legislators learned that some peak attendance dates at Playland would bring in more vehicular traffic than could be handled by the parking areas proposed in the PIP. Construction and planned use of the Field House and Playing Fields will take up some of the existing parking spaces. Also, a new traffic ingress to the part of the Playland property where the Field House will be situated is planned.
“Today, we were given a lot of new information about getting patrons in and out of Playland safely and comfortably, and the impact some of the changes will have on parking availability,” said BOL Majority Leader Catherine Borgia (D-Ossining). “There are now more questions, however, about whether the effort to make Playland a popular year-round destination meshes with SPI’s desire to keep attendance at a certain limit. I am eager to receive more information about how this will be resolved.”
SPI announced today that satellite parking areas will be developed as well, to deal with parking overflow on busy days and nights at Playland.
Also, a private enforcement agency will be hired to keep patrons from parking on neighboring streets and walking over to Playland.
“It was good to have a discussion with SPI to address parking issues at Playland,” said BOL Chairman Michael Kaplowitz (D-Somers). “Parking remains one of the primary issues of concern for the Board of Legislators, as it is for the residents who live near the park. Legislator Harckham’s committee continues to work through the review process for SPI’s plans, and I’m confident that our oversight here at the Board of Legislators will make the Playland Improvement Plan the best it can be.”
