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That pesky rec center
For your reading pleasure:
Citizens Committee for Charter Implementation
Hon. Scott Johnson
Mayor, City of
City Hall-Broadway
Re: Southside Recreation Area
Dear Mayor Johnson:
We have been following the proposal to build the City’s indoor recreation center on the Southside Recreation Area in the Jefferson Terrace neighborhood. In general, we believe that well-designed, well-maintained and well-programmed recreational facilities are sorely needed in that part of the city, whether indoors or outdoors. We are neither for nor against the present proposal.
Nevertheless, building this proposed indoor facility is an important step for the City. No matter where it is sited, it will be important to adhere carefully to City policy and City, State and federal law and procedural requirements, so that no one can criticize the Council about its process or be tempted to take legal action.
To this end, we have prepared comments and suggestions, as attached, that we hope will be helpful to the Council in its deliberations.
Sincerely,
posted by The Saratogian City Desk at
4:51 PM
2 Comments:
These lawyers wouldn't be the same one's that live adjacent to the proposed site by any chance?
EXACTLY!
They are only concerned about their own personal adgendas. Building more Luxury homes by the site.
Using the field for their personal use such as dog walking.
Money paybacks from realtors that live and are selling property by that site.
In reply to anonymous, the $6.5 million pork-barrel building and 60 car parking lot that would pave over much of the Southside park / playground may be a personal agenda, all right, but it's not one thought up by the hard working taxpayers of Saratoga.
First ask this: how much off-street parking do the other rec areas have? How many raquetball courts did the YMCA think could be supported in their new structure? Why is it so important to do this ASAP when the neigborhood doesn't want it and SEQR procedures are being ignored?
Expecting taxpayers to donate open space and pay for what will amount to free parking for NYRA 6 weeks out of the year and raquetball courts during these hard times is either spectacularly poor planning or part of a larger vision.
anonymous suggests that luxury homes and realtor paybacks are behind the criticism of this expensive proposal. Trouble with that argument, there's not really land to build on right there.
But it might be a good idea to follow the money and look beyond the taking of this traditional, deed-restricted playground space next to Jefferson Terrace and imagine what might be done with that City property once it's situated next to a taxpayer-funded gym with raquetball courts, a climbing wall and plenty of room for luxury SUV parking.
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