PARKS AND RECREATION

The EIC eliminates important Parks and Recreation services currently offered by Greenburgh, in order to make their projected budget appear feasible.
The EIC’s Incorporation Feasibility Study/budget reflects substantial expenditure savings generated through the loss of the majority of services at Anthony Veteran Park, $2,100,000. Although the EIC has presented the premise that a new swimming pool facility opening at Sprain Ridge Park is a viable replacement, it is critical to understand that this facility is already available to our community in addition to AVP and is not a replacement. In addition, the Sprain Ridge Park facility will be open to all Westchester County residents and therefore cannot offer the intimate, small community setting which exists at AVP. It is extremely important to understand that the EIC proposal reflects a $474,000 overall budget surplus but contains only $200,000 in cost for Parks and Rec, which also includes Greenburgh Nature Center at $100,000. $1,900,000 in savings is derived from the jettisoning of the Parks and Rec. services. The provision of any additional Parks and Rec services “blows” the EIC budget.
The loss of recreation and park facilities in any community presents a serious quality of life issue. Decreased services clearly negatively impact home values, decreasing the options and increasing the cost of services/living for our community members. Replicating our current facilities, if possible, would be extremely costly and certainly in excess of the minimal $100,000 budgeted in the EIC Feasibility Study for Parks and Rec. The purchase of land and construction of a new facility would increase operating costs beyond the existing projected EIC budget and generate even more long-term capital debt than is currently projected.

Please consider the following:
The EIC is incorrect!. Should Edgemont become a separate village, residents would lose far more than the right to use the Anthony Veteran Park swimming pool.
According to CHAPTER 891 OF THE LAWS OF 1982 (“THE FINNERAN LAW,”), the option for any village in the Incorporated Town of Greenburgh to choose to fund and thereafter use the park expired on November 1, 1982. Based upon this statute, it would probably require an act of the New York State Legislature to extend that option to Edgemont should it become incorporated as a village.

Presently, 295 Edgemont families have pool and tennis memberships; At least, 92% of them will be disappointed (25 passes are available for residents who live in Greenburgh Incorporated). The 611 residents of Edgemont who benefit from Unicard discounts for programs within Greenburgh would lose that discount. Fees for services provided within the Parks and Rec. system would be increased. There are several significant areas of loss:

The EIC report did not reflect the potential loss of playing fields for the Elmsford Little League, which Edgemont children utilize and in fact on page 52 of their report The EIC erroneously stated that “incorporation would not affect ERCs programming with the exception of access to the pools at AFV Park for ERC’s camp”.

In reality, the West Rumbrook Park fields are not federally funded and therefore are open only to residents of the unincorporated area of Greenburgh. Like the AVP swimming and tennis areas, the use of the Rumbrook Park fields could be in jeopardy.

A most significant loss would be borne by our children. Edgemont’s Summer Day Camp program for K-5th graders would lose access to the seven AVP swimming pools for six weeks in the summer, which presently includes without additional charge, swim instruction, lifeguards and insurance for as many as 300 youths. The viability of the Edgemont Day Camp, through the loss of its swimming program and possibly Edgemont Recreation, could be jeopardized as the Camp is the only profitable component of Edgemont Recreation.
In addition, the High School Junior Varsity Tennis Team would lose access to the 19 tennis courts currently available at the Town Park.
The Greenburgh Nature Center and Crane Pond presently receive $370,000 and $90,000 respectively in funding each year from Greenburgh. The Center will require a new roof estimated at $500,000 and other operational and capital costs in the near future, yet the EIC report proposes that an annual budget of $100,000 will meet all fiscal obligations.

To propose a Parks and Recreation Department budget of $200,000, of which $100,000.00 is for the Greenburgh Nature Center, reduces services to almost nothing. Keep in mind, the savings generated by eliminating the Parks and Recreation budget is $2,100,000.Without the removal of these services, the EIC budget does not work.

Most villages have their own community pools, senior centers, and community activity facilities. The new proposed village would not. Should the proponents of a new village agree that these facilities are important to be retained, they certainly have not shown us where in Edgemont they might be located, how much they will cost to build and how their construction and maintenance would be financed. It is inherently wrong to eliminate services enjoyed by Edgemont residents for decades, in order to present a new Village budget which “works.”

THOSE IMPACTED BY THE LOSS OF PARKS AND RECREATION SERVICES

295 FAMILIES WITH POOL AND TENNIS MEMBERSHIPS
611 RESIDENTS WHO UTILIZE UNICARD FOR SERVICES
THE EDGEMONT DAY CAMP CHILDRENWOULD LOSE USE OF THE AVP POOL
THE EDGEMONT HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR VARSITY TENNIS TEAM
THE EDGEMONT LITTLE LEAGUERS COULD LOSE THE USE OF W RUMBROOK PK