RGeeProductions
10-12-2007, 12:55 AM
Says alternative racing site at EPCAL won't work
By John Stefans
Attempting to quell a political fire storm and placate motor sports enthusiasts angry about a recent Town Board decision, Supervisor Phil Cardinale last week invited Scott Rechler, CEO of RexCorp, to consider an alternate site at EPCAL to build a sports and entertainment complex, a proposal that includes a race track as one of its components.
Mr. Cardinale was clearly hoping that if RexCorp showed interest in building a race track elsewhere at EPCAL it would help blunt the virulent criticism he and three other Town Board members are getting for having voted to approve exclusive negotiations with Riverhead Resorts and its indoor ski slope for the purchase of 755 acres of town-owned land in EPCAL's recreation zone. These were the same 755 acres that RexCorp and its partner, Long Island Destination Group, had bid on for its project.
On Tuesday, however, a RexCorp representative told The News-Review that the company has no interest in the 274 acres at EPCAL it was asked to consider. According to Vic Prusinowski, a former town councilman who is a consultant to RexCorp, the firm has problems with the parcel's size, access and environmental restrictions.
"Although motor sports was a feature of our project, it was a small percentage of our business model," Mr. Prusinowski said. "That model consisted of a family entertainment center which, in its entirely, is not suitable for the property in question."
He then added, "If negotiations between the town and Riverhead Resorts are not successful, I'm sure we'll get a call."
As previously reported, RexCorp had bid $152.5 million for the land. Riverhead Resorts, whose proposal includes a 350-foot-high snow dome for year-round skiing, bid $155 million. The Town Board, including Mr. Cardinale, voted 4 to 1 to select Riverhead Resorts — but not, explained the supervisor and other board members, because of the higher bid. Instead, they said they had voted for Riverhead Resorts because they concluded the proposal would work better for the town in the long run.
Though two board members who agreed with Mr. Cardinale are Republicans, the vote has quickly become the dominant issue in the supervisor's race between Mr. Cardinale, a Democrat, and Jim Stark, a Republican who had served as supervisor for two years in the mid-1990s.
Mr. Stark has labeled the vote as "perhaps the worst business decision ever made in the history of Riverhead." He was quickly joined by race-car enthusiasts, many from out of town, who are continuing to demand that the Town Board's decision be rescinded and that RexCorp and Long island Destination be given approval to proceed with their plans.
Two rallies were held at the Grumman Memorial Park to press for racing at EPCAL — one this past weekend, the other the weekend before. And on Sunday, a small plane flew over the Riverhead County Fair on East Main Street towing a banner that read: "Dump Cardinale and Snow Mountain."
Riverhead Republicans have denied any involvement with the banner, and Mr. Prusinowski said it certainly hadn't been organized by RexCorp.
As political tensions mounted, Mr. Cardinale expressed frustration this week that the vote for Riverhead Resorts is being narrowly portrayed as a vote between a mountain and a race track.
"That reduces to absurdity what the Town Board was grappling with for eight months as it explored the two concepts it had before them." Riverhead Resorts, he said, calls for eight separate themed resorts and that the ski slope is only one of them. Moreover, he said, the ski component could easily be dropped should the project not receive a height variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Mr. Cardinale complained that the way in which the issue is being framed represents a strategy on the part of people disappointed with the Town Board's vote.
"They're trying to diminish the decision by saying it was a vote against racing and a vote for skiing, a vote against a race track and for a ski mountain," Mr. Cardinale said. "That wasn't it at all. I, for one, have nothing at all against car racing at EPCAL. I simply believed — and continue to believe — that a world-class resorts concept of the significance that was presented was more in sync with my vision for Riverhead a decade from now."
The next step in the process is for Riverhead Resorts to sign a formal contract with Riverhead for purchase of the property. Mr. Cardinale expects that will happen either later this month or in early November.
This will be followed by a qualified-and-eligible sponsorship hearing, open to public discussion, to determine whether Riverhead Resorts has the experience and financial wherewithal to make good on its plans. Mr. Cardinale emphasized that if insurmountable problems with Riverhead Resorts were to develop, the Town Board would quickly ask RexCorp to begin negotiations on the 755 acres.
Mr. Prusinowski offered no assurances that the company would return to the table, only that the group would consider it.
By John Stefans
Attempting to quell a political fire storm and placate motor sports enthusiasts angry about a recent Town Board decision, Supervisor Phil Cardinale last week invited Scott Rechler, CEO of RexCorp, to consider an alternate site at EPCAL to build a sports and entertainment complex, a proposal that includes a race track as one of its components.
Mr. Cardinale was clearly hoping that if RexCorp showed interest in building a race track elsewhere at EPCAL it would help blunt the virulent criticism he and three other Town Board members are getting for having voted to approve exclusive negotiations with Riverhead Resorts and its indoor ski slope for the purchase of 755 acres of town-owned land in EPCAL's recreation zone. These were the same 755 acres that RexCorp and its partner, Long Island Destination Group, had bid on for its project.
On Tuesday, however, a RexCorp representative told The News-Review that the company has no interest in the 274 acres at EPCAL it was asked to consider. According to Vic Prusinowski, a former town councilman who is a consultant to RexCorp, the firm has problems with the parcel's size, access and environmental restrictions.
"Although motor sports was a feature of our project, it was a small percentage of our business model," Mr. Prusinowski said. "That model consisted of a family entertainment center which, in its entirely, is not suitable for the property in question."
He then added, "If negotiations between the town and Riverhead Resorts are not successful, I'm sure we'll get a call."
As previously reported, RexCorp had bid $152.5 million for the land. Riverhead Resorts, whose proposal includes a 350-foot-high snow dome for year-round skiing, bid $155 million. The Town Board, including Mr. Cardinale, voted 4 to 1 to select Riverhead Resorts — but not, explained the supervisor and other board members, because of the higher bid. Instead, they said they had voted for Riverhead Resorts because they concluded the proposal would work better for the town in the long run.
Though two board members who agreed with Mr. Cardinale are Republicans, the vote has quickly become the dominant issue in the supervisor's race between Mr. Cardinale, a Democrat, and Jim Stark, a Republican who had served as supervisor for two years in the mid-1990s.
Mr. Stark has labeled the vote as "perhaps the worst business decision ever made in the history of Riverhead." He was quickly joined by race-car enthusiasts, many from out of town, who are continuing to demand that the Town Board's decision be rescinded and that RexCorp and Long island Destination be given approval to proceed with their plans.
Two rallies were held at the Grumman Memorial Park to press for racing at EPCAL — one this past weekend, the other the weekend before. And on Sunday, a small plane flew over the Riverhead County Fair on East Main Street towing a banner that read: "Dump Cardinale and Snow Mountain."
Riverhead Republicans have denied any involvement with the banner, and Mr. Prusinowski said it certainly hadn't been organized by RexCorp.
As political tensions mounted, Mr. Cardinale expressed frustration this week that the vote for Riverhead Resorts is being narrowly portrayed as a vote between a mountain and a race track.
"That reduces to absurdity what the Town Board was grappling with for eight months as it explored the two concepts it had before them." Riverhead Resorts, he said, calls for eight separate themed resorts and that the ski slope is only one of them. Moreover, he said, the ski component could easily be dropped should the project not receive a height variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals.
Mr. Cardinale complained that the way in which the issue is being framed represents a strategy on the part of people disappointed with the Town Board's vote.
"They're trying to diminish the decision by saying it was a vote against racing and a vote for skiing, a vote against a race track and for a ski mountain," Mr. Cardinale said. "That wasn't it at all. I, for one, have nothing at all against car racing at EPCAL. I simply believed — and continue to believe — that a world-class resorts concept of the significance that was presented was more in sync with my vision for Riverhead a decade from now."
The next step in the process is for Riverhead Resorts to sign a formal contract with Riverhead for purchase of the property. Mr. Cardinale expects that will happen either later this month or in early November.
This will be followed by a qualified-and-eligible sponsorship hearing, open to public discussion, to determine whether Riverhead Resorts has the experience and financial wherewithal to make good on its plans. Mr. Cardinale emphasized that if insurmountable problems with Riverhead Resorts were to develop, the Town Board would quickly ask RexCorp to begin negotiations on the 755 acres.
Mr. Prusinowski offered no assurances that the company would return to the table, only that the group would consider it.