Extension Requested for Saratoga Race Course Redevelopment

by Mike Kane

Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen has asked for a 30-day extension of the comment period on the environmental review of a list of proposed changes in the redevelopment of the Saratoga Race Course. The comment period on the multi-year project developed by the New York Racing Association ends Monday.

Yepsen was one of the 13 people who spoke at a public hearing held in Saratoga Springs May 28. Yepsen said Saturday that city residents have reached out to her this week, expressing concerns about some of the proposals. On Friday, she contacted Robert Williams, executive director of the New York State Gaming Commission and chairman of the Franchise Oversight Board, which monitors NYRA, to ask for the extension. Yepsen said Williams told her he would look into it the legality of granting an extension and get back to her.

Williams was the moderator of the public hearing at the Saratoga City Center for public comment on the document, the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement. NYRA did not participate.

“The binder that describes the project is about six inches thick and our Local Advisory Board hasn’t had a chance to go through it all,” Yepsen said. “I’ve been getting a lot of requests from different neighborhood associations, primarily the ones closest to the track, that they just want a little more time. I think it makes sense for the city just to have a little more time to review a project of this magnitude.”

Yepsen said she doesn’t think the additional 30 days will have a negative impact on NYRA’s project, with the 40-day Saratoga meet beginning Friday, July 24.

“They have a season coming up,” she said. “They’re not going to be doing any construction until after racing anyway. Hopefully it just allows more local input, time to review the project and to be really careful about this huge undertaking. I’m just responding to the requests I’ve had this week.”

The original redevelopment plans were produced for NYRA by London-based Turnberry Consulting and presented Sept. 1, 2011. Nine months later, New York State took control of NYRA and an interim Re-Organization Board was put in place. Turnberry is no longer involved, but many elements of its proposal are contained in the document presented to the Franchise Oversight Board at its April meeting.

Among the proposed changes to be made to the public frontside at the nation’s oldest racetrack and sports venue:

• Moving the jockeys’ quarters to a new permanent building within the paddock, which many fear will end the Saratoga tradition of jockeys walking through the crowd before and after competing in races.

• Construction of a permanent 34,000-square foot, three-story addition to the clubhouse on the site of the “At the Rail Pavilion” dining tent. The structure, which could be used year-round, would include a restaurant, high-end hospitality venues and luxury boxes.

• Modifying the paddock to make it easier for visitors to see horses being saddled. One illustration in the document showed that all tents around the fencing being removed. In recent years, NYRA has limited some of the access to the public viewing areas by adding a hospitality tent and a tent to house the set for its television broadcasts.

• A new entrance at the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Frank Sullivan Place, an intersection of two narrow residential streets, that is about 75 yards from Siro’s Restaurant.

• The expansion of the backyard picnic area north to Union Avenue, which would eliminate over 600 parking spaces used by trainers, jockeys, handicapped customers and the public.

• Construction of a permanent two-story service building at the corner of Nelson Avenue and Wright Street.

• Reconfiguring the Wright Street clubhouse entrance, which was rebuilt and the fountain added about 25 years ago, to move it closer to the street.

• Removal of the 80-year-old press box and relocating it to the top and rear of the Turf Terrace dining area in the current clubhouse. Television cameras are placed on the roof of the clubhouse for national networks telecasts. An officer of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association spoke at the public hearing and asked that plans to move the press box be abandoned.

To view the proposed Saratoga Race Course Redevelopment Plan DGEIS or for more information, go to www.nyra.com/saratoga.com.