Westchester pols are supporting Astorino's call for a RFP process to look at various options for Playland. But they are also stating – in contrast to Astorino – support for the $1/year lease of the Playland Bathhouse for the Westchester Children's Museum.
Local Rye pol Judy Myers gets some play in the release. What do you think? Leave a comment below.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY LAWMAKERS SUPPORT ADMINISTRATION ON PLAYLAND RFP PROCESS
Legislators ready to proceed with Westchester Children’s Museum Lease Agreement
(White Plains, NY) – Today, Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ken Jenkins (D-Yonkers) and the Board’s Democratic Majority Whip and Legislator Judith Myers, representing the community of Rye, announced their support of plan unveiled by Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino seeking proposals to come up with new ideas and usages for Playland Amusement Park in Rye. “The Board intends to work with the Administration on the request for proposals (RFP) process,” said Chairman Jenkins. “We have drafted a resolution that states that County Executive and the Westchester County Board of Legislators, together, agree that it is in the best interest of Westchester County to determine the use and management of Playland Park.”
Legislators, also, announced plans to move forward on a lease agreement that would house the Westchester Childrens Museum at Playland. Slated for soft openings in mid 2011, the Museum would occupy the building formerly used as a Bathhouse at the park. That building on Playland's boardwalk is currently undergoing repair an renovation.
“At a time when budget cuts and the erosion of quality after-school youth programs are causing more people to seek out community-based alternative services within Westchester County, the Children’s Museum will be a vibrant, interactive, cultural institution for children and families, a dynamic resource for schools, a welcoming environment for special needs children, and a means to build tourism in the county,” said Chairman Jenkins.
The former Administration struck a deal to lease the newly-repaired South Bathhouse to the Museum for $1 a year, if the Museum could raise the money to build the interior and operate it. The Museum has raised $8 million so far and wants to ultimately raise $14 million. It has already spent $1.5 million on building designs. The Museum has already started educational programs with community groups. The lease for the Children's Museum and the RFP is currently being developed for presentation to the Board's Committees on Budget and Appropriation and Public Works, Parks, Labor and Transportation, chaired by Legislator William J. Ryan (D-White Plains).
Legislator Myers, a staunch advocate for the Children’s Museum, supports the County Executive’s request for proposals for Playland because the time is right to make a change, however she won’t support anything that brings more traffic into this residential neighborhood, nor any discussions that do not include Rye residents at the table, or anything that prohibits public access to the Long Island Sound. “The Children’s Museum represents a community-wide investment in our children without spending any taxpayers money,” said Legislator Myers. “Over 870,000 children under 11 years of age live within a 15-mile driving radius of our future site at Playland Park in Rye. Yet, Westchester has relatively few cultural resources designed specifically for children. The Children’s Museum on the boardwalk would be a welcomed addition to the outdoor cafes that don’t interfere with boardwalk runners and walkers, to historic ‘Kiddyland’ for the very young, an Ice Casino for year-round skating, and a music tower for summer concerts.
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You know, I’d hate to see Playland go. Why, though, are they still paying for fireworks twice a week during the entire summer?! Don’t get me wrong, I like fireworks, but that’s just extremely unnecessary spending. Stick to just July 4th and save god-knows-how-much.
Andrew,
The fireworks are not paid for by the county but paid for by Pepsi the official sponsor of playland. I asked personally a parks dept supervisor at Playland who gave me the information.
Need Change –
I’m somewhat amazed that Playland would be losing $6m a year when even the lower level parks department employees have such a firm grasp of the detailed expenses of running the park.
Perhaps the next time you’re in the park, you could check with this supervisor about the legal costs associated with the various wrongful death lawsuits the park (and the county) face, along with any provisions it holds against these lawsuits.
While you’re at it, could you also ask him what the annual capital costs are, and how the park is financing these costs? Oh, and see if he could tell you what the payroll looks like, how much insurance the county pays every year, how many of the employees are in a union, and what kind of pension obligations the county has committed to for the park employees. Maybe Pepsi, as the “official sponsor of Playland”, has taken care of all of these concerns as well…
There’s a Facebook group to help share ideas about Playland and contradict the meme that Playland is losing as much money as is reported, but more importantly parks aren’t about private profit. There are multiple bottom lines.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Rye-Playland-for-the-people/126269600759041?v=wall&ref=ts