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 Department of Communications. April 4, 2013:

 

Under the agreement announced today at a noon press conference held by Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino, Sustainable Playland will be responsible for the operation and maintenance of both the amusement area and the surrounding 100 acres of parkland.

 

Proceeds to pay the county, maintain the grounds and make improvements will come from equity investments from the operators, fees SPI charges its operators, revenues generated by the attractions run by the operators, and other revenue such as parking and sponsorships.

 

 The park will be open year round with no admission fee and access to Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary, the Boardwalk and the Pier will also remain free. Access to the beach is open to all, subject to fees (similar to those that already exist).

 

“The SPI plan is designed to preserve, restore and enhance the historic character and qualities of Playland, including the historic amusement rides, the classic buildings and the landscape,” said Kim Morque, new president of SPI. “Our vision is to have a beautiful park that capitalizes on its unique waterfront location and offers year-round activities and entertainment to attract individuals and families from across Westchester and the region. Our public-private partnership model is being used successfully nationwide and provides the opportunity for a long-term approach to assuring Playland’ s viability for generations to come.”

 

Playland is scheduled to open for the season on Saturday, May 11. For the 2013 season, it will be run, as in the past, by the county’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation, subsidized with county funds.

 

For the future, plans call for six zones to operate within the park:

 

· Amusement Zone: Playland’s historic rides will remain, including the Dragon Coaster and the Derby Racer, as well as Kiddyland and arcade games. Some existing rides will be removed while new rides will be added as part of an ongoing program to upgrade the amusement area.

· Aqua/Beach Zone: Playland’s beach and pool area will feature more amenities, including chair and sun umbrella rentals, cafés and activities such as water slides and floats.

· Field Zone: There will be a field house for indoor sports, plus outdoor athletic fields for soccer, lacrosse and other sports.

· Fountain Plaza Zone: This area will feature year-round restaurants, cafes, outdoor dining, special events as well as the Ice Casino.

· Great Lawn Zone: This area will feature the Central Promenade, which will remain open to the public year round, as well a picnic shelters, seasonal music and dance performances, a variety of special programming and the historic Grand Carousel.

· Common Area Zone: This encompasses “everything else” within the park’s footprint, such as parking lots and the lake, shore and beach leading to the Edith Read Wildlife Sanctuary.

 

With the asset management agreement complete, it now goes to the county’s Board of Acquisition & Contract for approval, which is expected later this month. Today marks another significant step forward in a process that began in 2010 when Astorino moved to ensure the future viability of the park, whose attendance figures have dropped from over 1 million in 2005 to 430,000 in 2012 and whose losses have been costing county taxpayers $3 million to $5 million annually in recent years. (Editor’s note: fees were raised substantially by county,

 

In 2011, 12 companies responded to a county request for proposals (RFP) to “reinvent” the park. These proposals were carefully reviewed by the county and a 19-member Citizens Advisory Committee. 

 

The Committee included three members of the Board of Legislators, two Democrats and one Republican. Sustainable was chosen last October because it had the best vision – financially and operationally – as well as far-reaching experience and strong local ties. Since then lawyers for the county and SPI have been working out the details of the asset management agreement.

 

Highlights include:

· SPI will pay the county a base fee that could eventually total $4 million, provided all zones become operational as planned. SPI will also make annual payments to the county based on the park’s net operating revenue. SPI estimates this to be about $1.2 million per year once the park is fully developed. All of the SPI payments will go toward retiring the county’s existing debt for Playland of approximately $35 million.

 

· SPI will amend its bylaws to include on its Board of Directors a representative of the County Executive and a representative of the Board of Legislators, as well as a resident of the City of Rye. The county Parks Commissioner will also sit on SPI’s board.

 

· SPI must develop an “improvement plan,” which outlines the material changes it plans to make to the park as the new operator. The County Executive and the Board of Legislators must both approve the improvement plan before the changes go into effect.

 

· The agreement between the county and SPI is for 10 years and can be renewed for an additional 10 years with the approval of both parties. In addition, the agreement recognizes that SPI may enter into subagreements of up to 20 years with its vendors, subject to the approval of the county’s Board of Acquisition & Contract.

 

· The county may terminate the contract upon six months notice “for cause,” which would include breaches such as payment defaults.

 

· The contract contemplates that all the necessary approvals will be in place by Oct. 1, which is the scheduled commencement date of the agreement. However, if all approvals are not in place by Jan. 1, 2014, including those by the Board of Legislators for the improvement plan, SPI has the right to terminate the agreement.

 

“The contract was written to follow the county charter and respect the roles and responsibilities of both the executive and legislative branches,” Astorino said. “I welcome the Board’s due diligence, but it must be done in a timely fashion. We also need to respect our partners at SPI, who are putting themselves at financial risk by investing $34 million of their money to save Playland. Unnecessary delays will put the future of Playland in jeopardy.”

 

SPI is a not-for-profit holding company, which has assembled an experienced and highly regarded team of operators to run each zone. SPI’s not-for-profit status gives the company access to low-cost financing and means that money after expenses will be invested back into the park.

 

Overseeing the overall management of the park for SPI will be Biederman Redevelopment Ventures, headed by Dan Biederman, a Chappaqua resident whose experience includes co-founding and managing the Bryant Park Corporation, the 34^th Street Partnership, and heading major efforts nationally to bring private resources and management techniques to work on public problems.

 

“The SPI plan will allow visitors to enjoy both amusement park rides and a passive park experience with beautiful views of Long Island Sound,” said Biederman. “We will bring private-sector techniques and diverse revenue streams to bear on the problems that have made Playland unaffordable for the county government.”

 

The operating team being assembled by SPI includes:

 

· Amusement and Aqua Beach Zones: Steve Turk and the Mega Funworks Team. Capital investment upwards of $7 million.

· Field Zone: John Abate and Eric DeGraw of Playland Sports Center LLC. Capital Investment $12.4 million.

· Fountain Plaza Zone: Shane Coppola of American Skating Entertainment Centers. Capital investment $600,000.

 

The county will ensure the park is in a condition that is satisfactory to SPI prior to the commencement date, when SPI will assume responsibility for management and operations of the park. Repairs to the boardwalk, Ice Casino and other parts of the park damaged by Superstorm Sandy are currently being made by the county as the owner of the property.

 

Timetable

 

Following is an approximate timetable of some of the key dates, which are generally dependent on earlier events happening on schedule:

 

April:

 

· Approval of the asset management agreement by Board of Acquisition & Contract is expected in mid-April.

 

May:

 

· Playland opens for the 2013 season on May 11, under county management.

· Within 30 days of the approval of the asset management agreement by the Board of Acquisition & Contract, SPI must submit a Playland Improvement Plan (PIP), consisting of the material changes the group proposes to make when the park comes under its management.

June:

· The County Executive’s office is expected to receive SPI’s improvement plan. Following the County Executive’s approval, the PIP will go to the Board of Legislators for its approval.

October:

· Commencement date – when SPI takes responsibility for operations – is scheduled in the contract for Oct. 1, 2013. This date may be extended based upon receipt of required approvals. However, if commencement is delayed beyond Jan. 1, 2014, because the BOL has failed to approve the Playland Improvement Plan by then, SPI has unilateral right to terminate agreement.

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WPCNR PLAYLAND ROUNDUP News & Comment by John F. Bailey. APRIL 3, 2013 UPDATED 7:00 A.M. E.D.T. April 5, 2013:

Thursday, the County Executive’s major announcement about Sustainable Playland answered a lot of questions. But, not much has changed.

Late Wednesday afternoon a group opposed to the Sustainable Playland plan, change.org listed 14 well-known attractions plus the midway that Sustainable plans to eliminate from the park.

The Sustainable wrecking ball will eliminate the Log Flume, Flying Witch, Playland Plunge, Double Shot, Catch a Wave, Starship 2000, Thunderbolt, Wipeout, Go Carts, Family Flyer Roller Coaster, Auto Scooter Bumper Cars, and Sky Skater as well as Midway buildings dating from the 30s, which hold game concessions, the House of Mirrors and the Zombie Castle ride.

By WPCNR count this would leave the Dragon Coaster, Kiddieland, the Merry-go-Round, the Steeplechase, the Ferris wheel. Playland loses much (about half of the present amusements) of its charm and old-time feel for just another park.

One of the statements in the video is Sustainable Playland vision gives you more park, less paving. Exactly.

It also loses a great deal of parking capacity (about 50%). So, how are you going to sustain the clamor for beach and amusement on those 90 degree days when you cannot handle the parking? Remember parking was all the way outside of Playland and down Playland Parkway on those sweltering days two summers ago. The parking plan is actually seeing less people using the park, perhaps better “heeled” with fatter wallets. 

Another annoyance is the county high admission price which is anything but family friendly. Having just seen the latest Sustainable Playland video on their website, I wonder about statements that say this will bring the family back to the park. Well if it did not cost over $30 bucks plus parking per rider in the family, you might not have that problem. Secondly, the new mission is to make the park more usable all year round, replacing half the park with a field house and play fields. Plus, upscale concessions.

 “Message” statements appear in the video about making the park more attractive to Westchester residents for which it is intended.

To wit:

“I saw an opportunity that even back in the laste ’70s, Playland wasn’t what it originally was, certainly, and it wasn’t serving the recreational needs of Westchester County.”

“We looked at an expanded ice rink. We looked at bringing new food facilities with higher quality food facilities. We looked at bringing the idea of indoor and outdoor fields to Westchester County, which is in great need of those fields.We looked at the idea of amusements and where the amusement business is going and could an amusement park that was focused on family rides, as opposed to the big thrill rides thrive, and in all cases that the elements that were very thoughtfully put together really have demand in the market, we feel are both market-supportable and more importantly financially sustainable.”

“The (new) sources of revenue includes sponsorships, public event revenues involving private sector companies, concession revenues enhanced way beyond what the numbers were before.”

“We plan on investing several million dollars to bring this park back. The truth is, it actually includes eliminating a small portion (14 rides,Midway, funhouses)of some of the ride attractions.”

“It’s a fantastic business (Field House) if you find the right location. You really need the demand and it’s possibly one of the best areas in the country to build something (indoor fields)because there’s so much demand around here (for fields). (waving at parking lot),if we put it up right over there which is the plan, it won’t be much different for any of the (Rye) residents over there.So that’s kind of exciting too. It is an empty parking lot expecially at this time of year so it’s exciting to sort of have year-round use for this facility.”

“There are some folks talking about investing $13-14 Million in one element of this plan. The overall investment will be about 33-1/2 Million dollars. When people are willing to put up significant dollars that’s a real validation of the plan.”

“The input of the community is what is making this such a great place.”

“This is the kind of park that for decades,is going to be relevant to Westchester residents. But it’s also sustainable in a sense that it is going to be the right thing for the environment at this location.”

“What I think is important (about the plan)to recapture and preserve is the original elegance and original continuity the park originally had.”

“Sustainable Playland is poised to bring the families back to Rye Playland.”

“It’s time really for Playland to be rethought. It’s time for it to become a better neighbor. It’s time for it to be a better integration into the way the county needs to use this property for recreation.”

“We’ve established a broad base of support both at the bottom level with the rank and file people, the users, to the senior level with some of the people of heads of businesses, heads of government, and localities that we have here to be able to come together and set their differences aside and actually think about what is in the best interests of the people in the county of Westchester.”

This oblique attitude subtlely projected by these quotes has an uncomfortable feel to it to me.

You see this video first on the Sustainable Playland website, and it gives to me the feeling that somehow Playland is now attracting the wrong kind of crowds: perhaps too poor, not from Westchester, and perhaps not white enough, not rich enough. That the park is rundown.Its elegance has been lost.

Wait..and tearing down half the rides and midway is going to preserve that elegance?

It is not.

This is a myth that the park is rundown.

Despite the $30 and up per person to use the rides, the park still attracts families of all walks of life, creeds, and ethnic persuation. The crowds are very diverse. Playland despite the county absurdity of worrying about it losing $3 million a year, (which the county burns regularly at the blink of an eye)is a place so many people love.

They love it because it is safe. It is people-friendly (or used to be before the county started viewing it as suddenly not an asset). Everybody smiles all day at Playland unless it is raining. People black, white, tan, all get along.

Does snooty Westchester not like that?

When these rides go for good, and this whole Sustainable concept is created, (and it is not going to happen all at once–who wants to go to a perpetual construction site? Will they allow soccer games on the great lawn? Will they have an affordable ice casino?

Will admission to the park be reasonable? Will the restaurants be Tikki Bar and Seaside Johnny expensive, or Nathan’s Famous? That is the question.

This may be a sophisticated park when it finishes up, but Playland instead of the living, breathing human park of memories will become a curiosity with no soul.

Why kill the Midway? The clang of bells, the colorful stuffed animals to win, the politically incorrect shooting and hoop-tossing, win-a-bear-for-your-date galleries, that is history, excitement–that makes childrens’ eyes widen…the sights the sounds you never forget it or fail to enjoy it.

Kill the midway and you take the soundtrack out of Playland. Playland involves you. This outfit wants to turn it into a passive park that appeals to the sophisticated, the wealthy and the white, and make a lot of money doing it.

Robert Moses, to his everlasting credit, opened up beaches to the poor and introduced the concept that the masses needed recreation that was reasonable. Now, that idea is passe’.

Now parks have to be places where chablis and brie can be consumed in quiet out of a hamper without the cacophony of real life, real people.

I like what was done by the persons connected to the Highland who are in this group, but let’s face it — the High Line in Manhattan is passive. It is for strolling. Same with Central Park.

And the Zombie Castle, the Hall of Mirrors — they never fail to amuse your kids or your date. But, no they are unsophisticated the swells say. 

Financing behind Sustainable Playland has not been made public.  (In the news conference completed yesterday, investments by other Sustainable Playland partners were announced.) 

A call from WPCNR to Sustainable Playland spokesfirm, Thompson & Bender to ascertain how Sustainable Playland is doing raising the millions of dollars they promise to pay the county for their first year of their lease, was not responded to.

Sustainable Playland also has not commented at all or made any public effort to deal with the cleanup of Playland, due to open May 11. That is a blunder on their part from a public relations standpoint. Why do doublework? If the County is going to fix up the ice casino, why do it, if Sustainable Playland is going to redesign the interior. Sustainable Playland should ante up in this time of crisis, don’t you think? They should show us their “fund balance.”

Playland Boardwalk and fishing pier and ice casino appear to have been untouched by county worker hands since the big storm and look much the same as they did in November. Five and a half months of good work time have been wasted by county inability to get moving on the repairs due to bureaucratic bickering between the legislators and the County Executive. It seems to this reporter that the county is trying to kill this park for good.

A press release Wednesday afternoon from a group opposed to Sustainable Playland takeover of the park, which will essentially based on the amazing number of rides they are going to remove that have long been part of park lore, notes:

An internet petition against Westchester County’s chosen future operator of Playland Park, Sustainable Playland Incorporated (“SPI”) removing rides and reducing the size of the amusement park continues to grow and gain support. To date, the electronic petition, located at Change.org (http://www.change.org/petitions/save-playland-amusement-park) has received over 2000 signatures, at least 740 of which are from Westchester County residents.

Most of the remaining signatories are tri-state area inhabitants or people with local ties to Westchester that currently use the amusement park. Many comments by the signatories are left publically accessible on the petition website. Comments state that as users of the current amusement park, the signatories are not apt to travel to Playland to spend money at a reduced amusement park combined with more locally appealing amenities such as the ball fields and the great lawn proposed within SPI’s plan.

SPI, who announced further details of a contract with the Westchester County Executive to take over management of the park, seeks to remove 30% of the amusement rides and approximately 50% of the amusement park area to create passive parkland and green space. Based on the presentation of SPI’s plan (http://westchesterlegislators.com/pdf/PlaylandPresentationSustainable_Playland.pdf)

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WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. By John F. Bailey.  April 1, 2013:

The city Budget Director, Michael Genito, delivered the proposed 2013-14 city budget to the Common Council this evening, calling for a 2% increase in the city property tax levy on an overall 3.1% increase in spending to $171.8 Million(up from  $166.7M last year).

To support the increase, the budget department recommends raising the city property tax rate to $192.22 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This according to Budget Director, Michael Genito raises the city tax on the median assessed value home ($13,000) an additional $104.

Pension payments make up $1.9 Million of the $5.1 Million increase in the overall city budget, and sales tax, which the city estimates is down $350,000 (8%) at this time, make up most of the increase in the budget.  The city is budgeting less sales tax for 2013-14, $45.4M compared to $46.5 Million this   year, that was revised downward at the end of last quarter.

WPCNR estimates that the city, if they meet last year’s sales tax revenues in March, April, May and June, will collect $49 Million in sales tax revenues, down from approximately $51 Million from total sales taxes last year. Approximately $5 Million of that $51 Million was by law placed in the tax stabilization fund created to replace city fund balance.

The Common Council will review the proposed budget at a series of 4 meetings on April 8, April 15,April 22, and April 29. A Public Hearing on the budget is proposed for May 7, and adoption of the budget May 20.

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As I puttered around the house, getting ready for an Easter Sunday dinner, I thought back over the years to a time when this holiday was more meaningful to me than it is today, and created this verse:

Sunrise Service

In the crisp bite of early dawn

Roused by the ever loyal mom

To a warm breakfast then driven to a school rendezvous on the way

To play Jesus Christ is Risen Today .

Up and through the dark back road to old Flag Hill above the Saw Mill

We were driven, six chosen musicians to play fanfare

Celebrating the resurrection of long ago as first rays of dawn broke the chill.

After we played our brassy peal of annunciation

The pastor announced simply, “He has risen” and said an invocation,

On the downbeat from our instructor,

We played the joyous hymn and song burst forth

From the tiny band, voices vibrant beyond talent

Took up the simple refrain, “Je US CHRIST has riSEN toDAAY”

With each verse our brass tones played fuller, bolder triumphant

Expanding our chests with pride, courage and steadfast melody.

From crisp wind no longer did we cower.

Sun blaze rose in the east across our town,

Upon the last jubilant coda, the echoes did sound

Descending across the valley below and above to the high tension tower

In somber words the pastor’s message told the story

Of empty tomb, of the incredible happening

And for the rest of the day we who had played

Announcing the news in song and peal of brass

Had recreated that time of myth that has endured in faith

The thought of which renews us still that our time here will not from memory pass.

In the holiday dinner that would follow,

Cousins, aunts and uncles would gather

With the matriarch of the family.

Today we are scattered,

Do not gather together as we did then in harmony

Still I feel the warmth of those Easters past

When those who have departed we think of once more

And how they created a family that would last.

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WPCNR SCHOOL DAYS. By John F. Bailey. March 29, 2013:

 As the Board of Education prepares to finalize the school budget, they have a unique opportunity to lower White Plains School Taxes for 2013-14, if they want to and if they did not already spend it on speculation they would be getting it.

White Plains either has a “surprise”  $1.3 Million windfall in state education aid  which they could  use to lower the 3.1% tax levy proposed on White Plains taxpayers, or it’s money the school  has expected to be in the 2013-14 budget all along even though it was only proposed in Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed budget in January.

According to Fred Seiler, the Assistant Superintendent for Business for the district, the district counted on this aid all along in formulating their budget. The $1 Billion in new school aid, was announced last week as “new” by Governor Cuomo and the leaders of the legislature, including $1.3 Million for the city school district.

Fred Seiler told WPCNR the aid increase of $1.3 Million announced by New York State Assemblyman David Buchwald last Tuesday for White Plains was counted on as part of the 2013-14 budget . Seiler said when you take into account the decrease in building aid which he described as inaccurate, the 9.54% increase touted by Mr. Buchwald’s only amounts to a $35,000 overall increase.

WPCNR asked Mr. Seiler if the school knew the $1.3 Million was a “windfall” or if it was a sure thing that was coming to the district.

Seiler said that in January the district assumed the Governor’s proposed budget of a statewide increase in state aid in January was “a worst case scenario,” and anticipated White Plains receiving aid along the lines of what the legislature just approved though he did not say how much .

In the most recently distributed Superintendent’s Budget of $192,950,000 on the district website, the district does not reflect the $1.3 Million, listing 2013-14 state school aid as $14.1 Million (see it at

http://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org/cms/lib5/NY01000029/Centricity/Domain/56/budget/2013-14PrelProposedBudget031113.pdf

This figure may be a consolidation, other cuts of other state aid sources may be cutting the overall increase reported by Assemblyman Buchwald as $15,287,127, an increase of 9.54%

During the last three months we have heard much from school districts agonizing across the state, as well as the White Plains district wringing hands over loss of state education aid and the need for more of it—lots of it from Yonkers to Yaphank.

The City Schoo l District in February and March public meetings showed slides obliquely blaming the state for not giving White Plains more school aid on the amount of school aid expected, putting up slides noting state school aid to White Plains was only going up $387,476, and in another slide, state aid to White Plains was going up only 2%, $275,000. WPCNR points out, at no time, was it made clear this included expected additional $1.2 Million in state aid. Now Mr. Seiler says it did.

Assemblyman Explains: School District knew the money could be coming.

The $1.3 Million was announced with much ballyhoo by Assemblyman David Buchwald in a Tuesday news release after the accompanying euphoric praise heaped upon the legislature last week for announcing $1 billion in new state aid for education, though 90% of that aid had been originally proposed in January and made clear to the school district in January.

The school district if they did count on it as their budget expert, Fred Seiler says, chose not to make the budget reflect, or deducted other losses of revenue from it, it is not clear yet how they figured it in.

School District Made Aware, Assemblyman confirms.

WPCNR asked Mr. Buchwald if the school districts (White Plains and others) had been made aware that that Governor Cuomo’s proposed increase in aid of $500 Million could not be counted on. In legislation passed this week, that $500 million was increased by the Democrat-held assembly by $400 Million to a total of $936 Million.

Buchwald, writing from the Assembly floor Thursday afternoon gave WPCNR this exclusive statement:

“The Governor had proposed a budget back in January. It contained a non-building aid proposed increase in funding of $1,204,278 for the White Plains City School District. There were of course no guarantees that the elements of that budget proposal would have passed, however the school district may have taken it into account when crafting their original budget. The final formula number of $1,331,926 is I am pleased to say even higher.”

Buchwald continued, observing ,

“It is also important to note that some of the categories of school aid in the governor’s original proposal were based on preliminary data, and so a direct comparison between the two numbers could be misleading. For example, the proposed (state) budget listed $2.284 million in BOCES and special services aid to the White Plains district. The final budget shows $2.185 million in that category. However, the school district may well have known that their actual figures were below the Governor’s preliminary estimate, and so the school district might not have budgeted for a full $1,204,278 increase.:

WPCNR also asked Buchwald if there was really any doubt the legislature would go along with the Governor’s initial proposal in January for $500 Million in new school aid, and announced it just to make political points:

Buchwald wrote in a statement:

“The legislature did not take a position on the budget in January. Under our system in New York State government, the Governor proposes a budget in January. There are items in the Governor’s budget that are now being included in the final budget (last week) without changes, items that were cut or eliminated, and items added to. That is all done in March (assuming we’re on time, which we are), culminating in the Assembly adopting budget bills today (Thursday, the 27^th).

Education funding was an item that was added to.

I am not the one to ask about how the Governor’s proposed budget is used in the preliminary budgets created by school districts. I would note that by passing a budget on time, we are giving school districts the full opportunity to submit budgets to the voters that can take into account this increased funding.”

WPCNR sent e-mails to six of the seven School Board members asking if the board, now knowing of this increased school aid would choose to lower the proposed tax increase of 3.1%–probably about a $100 to $200 saving on middle market homes by WPCNR figuring, and if they would not, why not?

No Board member has responded so far to WPCNR’s question.

They could use the new aid to give back to the taxpayers or use it towards settling the teacher contract, they have options if they did not figure on spending it already.