Playland Pool Update: Just the FACTS, Folks....

TO READ PART ONE FIRST, CLICK HERE.

*WHAT’S NEXT?

Here’s where it gets REALLY interesting, so sit back, take a deep breath and reach for the coffee or vodka or Rolaids, whatever you need to get you through these things when I lay out the real story for ya’…

Just eleven months ago, back in Aug. of 2015, Astorino sent a request to the BOL (Board of Legislators) for $8.8 Mil – bringing the total up to $9.3 Mil – to RESTORE AND RE-OPEN THE SPRAIN RIDGE POOL. AND HE GOT IT! And Mike “No Shame” Kaplowitz was right on board with it. But now they are both saying that the Playland Pool has to go because no one uses it and we can’t afford to fix it. Did you just fall off your chair? Spit your coffee out, perhaps? Chomp down hard on your Rolaids?

Read all about it right here:

LoHud Aug. 4, 2015: Westchester Approves $8.8 Mil for Sprain Ridge Pool

See Mike ‘No Shame’ Kaplowitz just eleven months ago justify restoring and keeping the Sprain Ridge Pool as a traditional lap-swimming pool:

“Mike Kaplowitz, chairman of the Board of Legislators, said another consideration was that the wave of water parks had receded a bit. He said there had been “pushback” from some residents, who just want to swim.

‘They don’t necessarily need, in every one of our pools, these wacky and wild rides,” he said. “I think we’re trending more towards traditional uses.’ “

LoHud Aug. 12, 2015 “New Sprain Ridge Pool Won’t Include Water Park Attractions”

Here’s where we’re at as of now, early July of 2016:

In April 2016 when the Board of Legislators was trying to keep up with all the changes to the contract that Standard was making before they RE-approved an amended contract (a contract that is now vastly different from the one the BOL approved on June 15, 2015, by the way) the Pool issue was so controversial among Legislators that they removed it from the equation. Basically just said, “We’ll deal with this later”. Republican Jim Maisano – a strong advocate for Public Pools- swore he would not vote for any plan that eliminated the Playland Pool (and then he essentially went ahead and did exactly that).

A couple of weeks later at a Committee Review meeting with Standard, I sat and watched Nick Singer blind side them all by putting the Pool back INTO the equation. Driving the bus as usual with the keys Astorino handed him, Singer laid down an ultimatum to the Legislators. He flat out said (and it’s on video somewhere) that Standard/United Parks was now stipulating in the contract that the COUNTY MUST make a decision one way or another about whether the Pool stays or goes no later than July 31, 2016. Jaws around the table drop and mouths were agape. I am pretty sure I saw steam coming out of a couple of Legislators’ ears. Singer said that if the County wants to keep the Pool Standard/United Parks would run it, but clearly that’s not his preference. He offered no alternative for what he will put there if it’s removed. He just set down an ultimatum to the Legislators. He very clearly stated that a timely decision about the fate of the Pool was a “deal-breaker” and that if one wasn’t reached by the deadline he stipulated they would walk (I can only hope…).

SO…on June 20, 2016 County Executive Rob Astorino sent down ONE piece of Legislation for the BOL to consider: a Bond Act Request to get $2.7 to REMOVE THE POOL. He didn’t send accompanying legislation with a Bond Act Request to fund RESTORATION of the Pool and give them something comparative to make their decision on. He only wants removal. Period.

At a subsequent BOL Committee meeting (three Committees have to review this mess: Budget & Appropriations, Infrastructure and Labor, Parks, Planning & Housing, aka ‘LPPH’) several Legislators expressed concern and Jim Maisano was outraged (where has your umbrage been over this for the past year, Jim?). They all seem to feel it merits further discussion and I have no reason after speaking to some Legislators to think that any decision will be made about the Pool by the July 31st deadline that Singer threw down. The BOL only *has* one meeting in July, which is next week at 7pm on Monday July 18th. They will no doubt be discussing this in Committee most of that day starting in the morning. They do not *have* to do ANYTHING with the Legislation the County Exec sent them. They can simply take no action and not even move it out of Committee in the morning for a vote on the floor that night, and I’m told that’s what’s going to happen for now – nothing. It will likely be taken up again in September.

In the meantime I’m told that Legislators requested – and got – information on the costs of RESTORING the Playland Pool and that it came in at the low-to-mid $9 Mil mark. Well under $10 Mil. And here’s the thing…when a project like that goes over $10 Mil, apparently there needs to be a Public Referendum – something the County tries to avoid at all costs. So when they have a huge project that’s going to cost more than that, they break it down into smaller pieces and keep each individual aspect of the overall project UNDER $10 Mil. So here’s what I’m sure you’d find out if you did more detailed research than I have time for (although I *have* seen evidence of this on a preliminary search)….those OTHER Pool restoration projects EN TOTAL for each one ALL likely cost WELL OVER $10 Mil per Park. They just broke the projects down into different phases (ie: Pool, picnic grounds, bath house etc) and kept each one under $10 Mil. But the overall costs for each total pool-area rehab at Wilson’s Woods, Tibbetts and Saxon Woods I can almost guarantee came in at more than that PER PARK. ALL of these parks' Pool areas are significantly larger than Playland's, so it stands to reason that they *would* all cost more.

I’m told the estimate for the Playland job would be under $10 mil and would cover EVERYTHING that needs to be done, from the Pool to the deck area, to the bath house/changing area downstairs, the buildings – EVERYTHING. Which means, if that’s accurate info (and we should know by next week’s Committee meeting) that PLAYLAND’S Pool rehab soup-to-nuts will actually cost LESS than all of the others ones we’ve done thus far. The best part of this is, out of ALL those Parks, PLAYLAND is the ONLY ONE that stands any chance of generating enough revenue to help cover the expenses of its own rehab! (Playland turned a profit in 2015).

Yet the County Executive and Mike Kaplowitz are going to try to tell Westchester residents the Pool has to go because we can’t afford to fix it.

This is absolute rubbish, as usual. I honestly do not know how these people sleep at night with all the lying that goes on. And there’s no other characterization for it, it’s flat out lying.

County residents and people concerned about the Playland Pool should DEMAND that the County stay on track and complete the AQUATICS MASTER PLAN that was set in motion and is 4/5 of the way done, and demand that they simply finish it by including Playland in it as was always originally planned. There is no excuse not to do it.

We absolutely CAN “afford” it.

Stay tuned!

To View the 2006 Aquatics Master Plan Click HERE Then click on the top item from May 12, 2015 titled “POOLS Aquatic Facil Assess & Recomm 2006”

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