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GREENBURGH, N.Y. – State legislators are getting close to completing a proposed law that would allow a year-round tennis facility - open to the public - to come to Greenburgh.
Assembly member Thomas Abinanti (D-Greenburgh) said Tuesday that, while he and his staff continue to tweak the details of a proposal designed to bring a “tennis bubble” to Anthony F. Veteran Park, the basic legislation is there.
“The goal is the Town of Greenbrugh should be able to make money on its facilities in the off-season to help pay for its facilities in-season,” Abinanti said. “It’s a very simple concept but because of the constraints of other laws there are some difficulties.”
On Tuesday, the town board agreed to host a public hearing on the draft proposal at Wednesday’s Board meeting. A vote on a resolution of support for the plan is expected to be held Friday.
Town Council member Francis Sheehan said both the town and state lawmakers have taken into consideration the concerns of several residents and their input is reflected in the updated proposal.
“When you’re changing state law you want to get it right,” Sheehan said during the board’s work session. “I think Tom is working really hard to get it right.”
Last month, the town board deferred to Abinanti and State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), asking them to draft a resolution that would allow the town to lease or license a tennis facility at Anthony F. Veteran Park that is open to the general public.
At the heart of the request is a proposed Sportime tennis facility that town officials estimate could bring in more than $3 million in revenue over the span of a 15-year lease.
In the way of the facility stands 20-year-old state legislation, the Finneran Law, which prevents residents from unincorporated Greenburgh from using the park’s facilities. Sportime has said without letting the general public use the tennis facility, the unit would not be profitable enough.
Both Abinanti and Cousins voiced their support for the tennis bubble but said that changing the Finneran Law, which was the town’s initial intention, was unlikely to happen in the near future.
Instead, they have said that passing a one-time piece of legislation would be the simplest solution and most likely to make its way through the legislature.
Abinanti said it is still feasible that legislators may get the plan signed into law before they break for vacation next month but Supervisor Paul Feiner continues to stress a rushed timeline.
“Every day that goes by makes it tougher to get the legislation approved,” he said Tuesday.
Comments (2)
nor has it been governing. gadflying, twittering, facebooking, press releasing - that is his forte.
well this forte has met its match - the fortress bible disaster which, if the town loses its appeal should lead to the immediate resignation of mr feiner and his little dog too (ms juettner)
“Every day that goes by makes it tougher to get the legislation approved,” he (Feiner) said Tuesday."
One thing that Feiner is committed to is broadcasting summer re-runs year round. Thus he continues to restate and repost what he rushes, without forethought, into "camera ready" format and thereafter to bemoan how long it takes to get his scams accomplished. Often blaming residents like myself, Bob Bernstein and Ella Preiser for delays. Thus, repeating, repeating the original message as though by repetition it somehow should gain traction with unwary voters.
This proposed legislative initiative is no different. The reason it is twisting and turning in the political winds is that what was ORIGINALLY intended as far back as March 2012 was to present a direction to Abinanti and Cousins of single-minded purpose and direction. At a Town Board Work Session with the legislative aides sitting in for the elected officials, it was presented by these aides and AGREED with by the Town Board that the simplest and most direct version would be the one most likely to succeed in the limited time remaining (then) before the State governing bodies went on recess. THEREAFTER, the proposal morphed into varying, stupefying versions and sought to extend the latest change of heart to the entire Town Park facility: who's (A vs B) paying for what and who's getting what back etc.
Had the Town Board pursued and been faithful to the original premise and exercised restraint and intelligence in the subsequent drafts and revisions, the matter would not be coming down to the wire as it is. Objections to draft lag the proposed Sportime tennis bubble. Feiner and team conveniently and selectively suffer memory loss when they seek to blame others for their own inaction or negligence.
And in a chicken or egg scenario of which comes first: the revised law or, a new draft of a contract with Sportime? There has yet been no clear representation from Feiner which elements of the long ago proposed contract still remain acceptable to the Town or to Sportime -- including the "rent" number which has been bandied about. Sportime wants to see the law revised first; the Town sees no need to get evidence that Sportime is willing to commit to a contract and on what terms.
Feiner never changes; accentuate the positive when it serves for him a more serious purpose -- to mask his financial misdeeds and lack of fiduciary responsibility which he instead blames on diligent residents as though residents were somehow responsible for higher taxes ahead. The prime example of this is the WESTHELP rent forfeiture which is costing the Town $1,200,000 PER YEAR in lost rent due to Feiner's refusal to extend the expiring WESTHELP lease. $1,200,000 in hand vs Sportime's "$260,000" in the bush.
Math was never the Town's Chief Financial Officer's (Feiner) strong suit.
Hal Samis