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GREENBURGH, N.Y. A pair of state lawmakers have voiced their support for a year-round tennis facility in Greenburgh.
State Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Assembly member Thomas Abinanti (D-Greenburgh) said Wednesday they want to work with local leaders to pass a piece of single purpose legislation with the hopes of bringing a tennis bubble to Anthony F. Veteran Park.
It makes a lot of sense to use the tennis facility all year round, Abinanti said.
On Tuesday, the Greenburgh Town Council passed a resolution asking Abinanti and Stewart-Cousins to draft legislation that would allow the town to lease the tennis courts to a private vendor and open those courts to the general public.
Stewart-Cousins said both she and Abananti will continue to work with Greenbrugh town officials and a coalition of village mayors to reach a solution to the town's request.
I think its fair to say that we are trying to find a way, within the constraints of the law and the concerns that both the villages have and town have, to help them reach the goal, Stewart-Cousins said.
At the heart of the request is a proposed Sportime tennis facility that town officials estimate could bring in over $3 million in revenue over the span of a 15-year lease.
In the way of the facility stands a 20-year-old state law, the Finneran Law, which prevents residents from unincorporated Greenburgh from using the parks facilities. Spotime has said without letting the general public use the tennis facility, the unit would not be profitable enough.
But changing the Finneran Law, which was the towns initial intention, is unlikely to happen in the near future, the two lawmakers said.
We cant really change the Finneran Law. There are too many levels and too many layers, Stewart-Cousins said. The easiest thing to do is work with the fact (that the) tennis bubble is the goal and find a way to help them achieve that goal.
They both agreed that passing a one-time piece of legislation would be the simplest solution and most likely to make its way through the legislature.
Im hopeful it will pass, Abinanti said. It should not be controversial. I think everybody agrees the town should be able to lease the tennis courts.
Abinanti said it wasnt unrealistic to hope the piece can be passed before lawmakers break for summer.
She (Stewart-Cousins) and I are working as fast as we can to work it through the respective houses, Abinanti said.
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