McKinstry: Why Greenburgh will vote on the sports bubble
Photo credit: Handout | An artist's rendering of a proposed indoor sports complex in Greenburgh.
Sports bubble approved in Greenburgh
Greenburgh residents question town land for sports facilityGreenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner is so confident the public wants a sports bubble, he's willing to put it on the ballot -- even though the town board already approved it unanimously.
So residents turning out for a pretty-big November election to have their say in the direction of this country will also get to direct the ho-hum issue of a town lease.
The Town Board on Monday approved a 15-year lease with Tarrytown-based Game On 365, which plans to build a $7-million, 94,000-square-foot sports facility -- complete with soccer and lacrosse fields and a field house -- on 7 acres off Dobbs Ferry Road that were once the site of a nursery. The board is expected to authorize a referendum vote Aug. 29.
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Feiner, an outspoken proponent of the project, wants to public to feel good about it. As he told me this week, "Too many people feel leaders don't listen."
Sure, that's true. But is government by referendum really all that productive? Isn't that why we elect leaders -- to go over leases and expenses and oversee day-to-day operations? Can you imagine if we had to vote on the trash pickup schedule or a balance transfer? Nothing would get done.
Feiner, town leaders and the town attorney say they're backing a vote because the matter deals with a lease on land acquired through a tax lien; Westchester County law allows for a vote or referendum on future use. Having public approval will help the planning and approval process, they say.
A "Burst the Bubble" opposition movement against this project has been small but vocal, and Feiner also has other consistently outspoken thorns in his side. So brace yourself for battling lawn signs, mailers and email blasts. Whether it's the finances or the environmental cleanup, we're sure to hear more about why this deal is or isn't bad for the town, along with other reasons why a hole should be poked in this bubble.
And remember that, even though the public is getting its say on this, most residents won't have scrutinized every line, clause or footnote in the deal. That's not their job. That sort of review still falls on lawyers, accountants, planners and assessors at Town Hall.
All this vote will really do is determine whether Greenburgh residents like the concept of a sports facility -- not whether this lease is a good deal for taxpayers.
That's still the responsibility of town leaders, who have wrangled over the contract over the past few weeks, delaying a board vote several times.
Under the terms of the lease, Game On 365 will pay $260,000 a year in rent with a schedule of increases, which includes property taxes estimated at $2 million over the life of the lease. The company will also kick in up to $125,000 to clean up some contamination on the site and offer free access to seniors and discounts to residents.
Feiner is confident that Greenburgh residents want this facility -- even though there is a similar one in the neighboring Village of Ardsley and another proposed in Harrison. Still, I had to ask him what happens if voters reject it outright.
"Then it's dead. That'll be it," Feiner said of the bubble. "Life goes on."
So in Greenburgh, voters in November will have a say on a president of the United States -- and a sports bubble in town.
Gerald McKinstry is a member of the Newsday editorial board.
