RYE PLAYLAND NEEDS YOUR HELP!

[DizzyDeeds66]

I am a local Rye, NY resident and a lifelong resident of Westchester County, NY. There has been a lot in the local news about the future of historic Rye Playland. Currently the Westchester County Board of Legislators are weighing proposals from four entities for taking over the stewardship and running of this park on behalf of the County. There is a small group of well heeled local home owners in Rye who have banded together to form a group calling themselves 'Sustainable Playland". Their primary motivation is to CUT BACK the usage of the park, dismantle a majority of the rides and reduce the foot print of the Amusement Park area by 50%, also eliminating several historic sections of the Park in order to put in grassy areas and playing fields (which this town already has MORE than enough of, believe me). They also want to eliminate 50% of the parking lot. One local real estate agent who is on board with them told me frankly that it *IS* about these homeowners' "property values". We cannot let this group dictate the future of this gem that is on the National Register of Historic Places. Sadly right now, because they have high visibility, they are in the front running.

 

Please get online and do some research about this. There is a FB group called "Save Rye Playland" with almost 800 members (please feel free to join!) and the local movement to Save Playland from Sustainable Rye's clutches is mobilizing. There are two other very good options on the table, only one of which actually has the funding to do this enormously expensive restoration and revitalization project, and which is helmed by a local guy who loves Playland and also grew up going there (Standard Amusements/Nick Singer). We are urging the Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino and the Westchester County Board of Legislators to REJECT Sustainable Playland's proposal, as it most definitely is NOT in the best interests of Playland or its future. Please sign this online petition so that we can show support both near and far for Rye Playland to remain an historic AMUSEMENT PARK.

 

Rye Playland needs you! Sustainable Playland will be its Death Knell if they get awarded this contract.

 

https://www.change.org/petitions/save-playland-amusment-park

[larrygator]

As much as I like the current Rye Playland with its historic rides and prefer the proposals from Standard and Central Amusements, I have a problem with a petition of this nature.

 

The park is owned by Westchester County and the residents of Westchester County should be the ones to decide the fate of the land. Personally, I have no right to dictate what should happen in Westchester County and have no right to support a decision that could have financial impact on the Westchester residents.

 

I certainly would not want the residents of Westchester County influencing a project in my county that could raise my property taxes.

 

If the Sustainbale Playland proposal truly only supports the elitists in the near vicinity of the park, someone better do some grassroots organizing to get the weight of the regular Joes in Westchester County behind the other proposals.

[robbalvey]

^ Agreed with everything that Larry said. I'm not one to support online petitions as it just turns into a "popularity contest" and that's not something we really want to be part of, sorry.

 

--Robb