When is an Amusement Park not amusing?

Ans: When it’s county park in your back yard!



The Nassau County Administration put out an RFP (Request for Proposal) last year for some one to build a Sportplex in Cedar Creek Park in Wantagh/Seaford. This was to include a Go Cart Track and miniature golf. After having to extend the submission deadline a few times, a would be developer has submitted the only proposal.



A group lead by one Philip Tavella of Diversified Financial Consultants. Inc. aka Investacorp, Inc. of Bellmore has submitted plans to build a humongous, professional Go Cart race track from Kart Attack of Bay Shore directly behind the Cedar Creek Water Treatment Plant and a Miniature Golf facility directly behind the Jones Beach Hotel on Byron Street in Wantagh.



On the following pages you can see maps of the proposals.



First the Go Cart Track: Kart Attack bill its tracks as competition grade, x-treme sport tracks for use by adults, primarily. Up to 12 souped up carts will race over an intricate, extended track creating a great deal of noise pollution especially to the Seaford residents and marinas just across Cedar Creek to the east, Cedar Creek Park proper to the south and Wantagh Park and marina to the west, not to mention the Water Treatment Plant itself (which adds its own noxious odors to the mix). Add to that the traffic and crowd noises and the little serenity available to county park users in Wantagh & Seaford will be lost.



Second the Miniature Golf: High mast lights and crowd noise adjacent to a residential area insures no rest for the weary in that area, either. It will also block easy access to the Jones Beach bike path along Wantagh Parkway.



Thirdly, a proposed ball field complex will mean the removal of the hill (the only one in the area) used by local children to snow sled in the winter.



This project will also negatively impact the Cedar Creek park Aerodrome and the small Tether Track which is nestled near the water treatment plant.



Is here an upside to this? Not for residents and park users in the area. The developer intends to make big bucks for his, up to 20 year, lease and is exempt from Town and School taxes. Not bad. Not bad at all. Mr. Tavella touts his directorship of the Darryl Strawberry Foundation aka Center for Autism Education as the only justification he needs for this facility and is unable or unwilling to counter objections above. Mr. Tavella must understand that the community affected is not against special needs children but believes they can be best served by a private facility on private land and not by one on a public park that harms the community at large.



More to come on Nickerson Beach & the Meadowbrook Preserve..



Bruce Piel, Chairman

Park Advocacy & Recreation Council of Nassau (PARCnassau)

246 Twin Lane East

Wantagh, NY, 11793

(516) 783-8378







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Note: The Go Cart Track is across from Seaford homes, Seaford Harbor School and marinas to the east; Wantagh Park and marina to the west and Cedar Creek Park proper to the north. The “Rec Center” is an existing DPW garage. The Ball Field Complex is on the sledding hill and the “mini-golf” is behind a Wantagh neighborhood. If there ever was a justified NIMBY this is it.





As you can see from this layout, this is not a kid’s go cart track for soap boxes with lawn mower engines but a professional race track for high speed (and noise) vehicles with parking and pit areas.

The Privatization of Public Parks

The current Nassau County Administration is aggressively pursuing its goal of partially or completely privatizing most of its parks, preserves, beaches, museums, etc, etc. PARCnassau has always opposed most privatization which we believe demonstrates the county’s ignoring the public will and their fiduciary responsibility to our parks system.



That being said, there are some civic organizations that have generously offered time and personnel to maintaining and/or administering some facilities such as museums, and preserves. This, unfortunately, is not the norm. Much more likely are private entrepreneurs, sometimes disguised as a “friend’s group” or not-for-profit organization that has been given control of public parklands, lining their own pockets at the taxpayers expense. The private day care centers in several county parks would be a prime example. Private operators pay a minimum occupancy and use fee, no town or school taxes and reap exceptional profits. The public is excluded or forced to pay higher fees to compensate for their “stewardship”.



We believe this is intolerable and must be stopped and even reversed wherever possible. Instead the county is still chasing new political friends to enter into more privatization agreements.



Documents show that the county has already privatized fully or partially the following public properties:





· African American Museum

· Bailey Arboretum

· Cradle of Aviation

· Flower Hill Park

· Herrick’s Park

· Hewlett House

· Leeds Pond Preserve

· Northern Boulevard Park

· Roslyn Senior Citizens

· Sands Point Park & Preserve

· Silver Point Park

· Tanglewood Park & Preserve

· Wantagh Railroad Museum

· Welwyn Preserve

· William Cullen Bryant Preserve





These documents further show that the county executive and his stff are actively targeting the following properties for privatization.





Baxter Pond Park
Brookside Preserve
Carmann’s Pond Park
Carle Place Memorial Park
Cedarmere
Centenial Park
Garvies Point Preserve
Grant park
Halls Pond
Inwood Park
Jericho Historic Preserve
Manetto Hills Preserve
Massapequa Preserve
Mill Neck Creek Preserve
Meadowbrook Park
Merrick (Meroke) Preserve
Mill (Jones) Pond
Muttontown Park & Preserve
Old Bethpage Restoration Village
Rev. Arthur Mackey Sr. Park
Saddle Rock Grist Mill
Sea Cliff Park
Stannard’s Brook Park
Stillwell Woods & Preserve
Syosset Memorial Park


Are you concerned yet? Does the county walking away from its responsibility to operate and maintain these properties on our behalf bother you? Will we, the taxpayers of this county, continue to stand by while our children’s and grandchildren’s legacy is sold, bartered or given away? We hope not.



We haven’t even given you the worst of what is happening. A “Sportsplex” in Cedar Creek Park and Nickerson Beach Park and the sale of part of the Meadowbrook Preserve to an adjacent day camp that had used the site as their private property without the knowledge and permission of the county for years. These three instances will be the subjects of following updates.



Meanwhile, it is time for us to express our disgust and betrayal at the county administration’s cavalier treatment of our park system and demand the county recover and protect our parklands. It may be time for a public meeting to demonstrate our commitment. Will you and your membership come and show your support? Let us know.



Bruce Piel

Chairman

Park Advocacy & Recreation Council of Nassau (PARCnassau)

246 Twin Lane East

Wantagh, NY 11793

(516)783-8378