Sports Center

SBL: 6.14-1-2 Town Board Referral

Location: Mahopac Street & Navajo Road

Contact: Al Capellini, Joe Riina, engineer

Description: Construction of athletic fields, wood chip pedestrian trails, drainage conveyance system and storm water management basins, and associated re-grading activities. Reconstruction of two existing wood foot bridges.

January 13, 2009, town board work session
Attorney Al Capellini, site designer Joe Riina and Yorktown resident C.J. Divey, one of the owners of a 48 acre site in the northeast corner of Yorktown off Navaho St and bordering the Somers and Carmel border, presented a conceptual plan for an indoor/outdoor sports center. The site is currently zoned residential, ½ acre and would have to be rezoned for a commercial/recreation use. According to Mr. Capellini, the purpose of the presentation was to see if the board had any interest in the plan which Mr. Divney estimated would be a $12 million-$15 million project.

Before Mr. Capellini began his presentation, Councilman Campisi asked him if an application had been filed. When Mr. Capellini said, “No,” Mr. Campisi said that he wasn't going to listen to the presentation and he walked out of the room.

The conceptual plan calls for 5 outdoor fields that could accommodate lacrosse, football, baseball and soccer and an indoor facility that could accommodate several fields and/or activities depending on how it was configured. Ingress and egress to the site would be from Navaho St. The purpose of the center would be to accommodate teams and tournaments on an all year round basis. Mr. Diveny explained the need for additional athletic fields in town and the difficulty of scheduling tournaments given the limited field space and the weather. He noted that while there were 3 ballfields on Rotue 202, if the 90ft field was being used, the remaining two shorter fields could not be used. He envisions that each sport would have an individual sponsor and that the sponsor would pay a rent to the facility.

Both Councilman Metz and Supervisor Peters noted the need for additional athletic fields in town and were supportive of the idea. Councilman Bianco expressed concern that the site was a wetlands – even swampy – and also about the impact of traffic on Route 6. He suggested that the parties look at the county owned land on Route 202. Councilman Maratorano said he felt somewhat schizophrenic: earlier in the evening the board was talking about preserving trees and this proposal involved the cutting down of trees.

At the conclusion of the meeting the parties said that based on the comments they heard from the board, they would further massage their plan and come back showing that their proposal could work on the site.

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April 26, 2010, work session

The proposal is for two, full-sized athletic fields in the open meadow areas on the site. It is adjacent to a state wetland to the east, and access is via two stream crossings, so a wetlands permit is required. The main access is off Navajo Rd. A nature center with walking trails is proposed for the former equestrian center on the route 6N side of the site.

Traffic and wetland mitigation are the Planning Board’s main concerns, although overall the Board thinks the proposed use fits well with in the industrial park setting. There was considerable debate about the adequacy of the 121 proposed grass parking spaces and the traffic that will be generated. The applicant pointed out that the fields will be used by older players, attracting fewer spectators, and that people will probably not stay the whole day for tournaments, also that the fields would be used outside of normal business hours so overflow parking would be available on Navajo Rd. The Planning Board disagreed with this assessment, citing the traffic problems on Route 202 during the Labor Day soccer tournament.

The stream crossings will be able to take construction vehicle traffic as well maintenance vehicles, but will nevertheless be temporary structures pending phase II of the project. The fields will be natural turf, except the baseball diamond which will be an artificial turf which drains well.

More than 20,000 cu yd of material will be excavated to construct the fields. It will be stockpiled on the site of the second field while the first is being worked on, then trucked off when the second field is under construction. The erosion and sedimentation control plan is in place, and the limits of disturbance are shown on the plans. The project will require a SPEDES permit. The wetland mitigation plan has not been done, but this will be necessary before the Town Board can grant a wetland permit.

Mr. Riina described phase II of the project which includes replacing the fields with a multi-level domed structure, built over the stream, with parking below and requiring an extensive roadway system. Mr. Giordano expressed concern that the Planning Board was reviewing the project on the premise it would be a not-for-profit venture, but that could change in phase II. He asked Attorney Wagner to research the legal implications.

The Planning Board will recommend that the Town Board grant the wetlands and excavation permits, once the wetland mitigation plan is in place.

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