Greenburgh Insider: Town of Greenburgh: Governor signs law authorizing year round pickleball at AF Veteran future tennis bubble.

The Finneran law limits the ability of the town to open up AF Veteran park to non residents without state legislation Tennis bubble to be built at park.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law last week a home rule law that was unanimously supported by the Greenburgh Town Board and introduced by Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins and Assemblywoman Mary Jane Shimsky. The law will expand community access to pickleball at Anthony F. Veteran Park in Greenburgh, NY.  In 2012 the state legislature authorized the construction of a tennis bubble at the park. Last year the Town Board approved a lease with Sporttime to build year-round tennis courts. Now pickleball will also be authorized. Special thanks to Janet & Larry Lefkowitz and former Commissioner of Parks Gerry Byrne for their advocacy.

 

Why did the State Legislature have to authorize a pickleball court?

In the 1970s the NYS Legislature approved the Finneran law which limits our ability to open the park to non-residents. Once Sporttime builds the bubble – indoor tennis- nonresidents will also have access to the courts. Greenburgh is the only community in NYS that has the Finneran restrictions.

 

Learn more about NY Sports plans -video presentation to Town Board over a year ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRI2LqBcbp0

 

Some highlights of the Sports bubble that will be available to anyone (residents and non-residents

 

● A bank of hard surface courts on the south side of the Building Envelope, featuring four (4) DecoTurf, hard surface, tennis courts and six (6) DecoTurf hard surface pickleball courts, within a single 40,967 square foot air structure during the indoor season, and lighted for the outdoor season.

● A bank of six (6) Har Tru, soft surface tennis courts, constructed utilizing the latest HyQ subsurface irrigation technology, contained within a single 38,904 square foot air structure during the indoor season, and lighted for the outdoor season.

● A 8,964 square foot fabric frame structure, with removable sides, connected to the clubhouse, featuring four (4) indoor/outdoor pickleball courts, and convertible to other sports and sports training uses. In the alternative, a bubble containing those same uses.

● A 7,080 square foot clubhouse on two levels, providing viewing into both air structures from a spacious, elevated, main level viewing lounge/lobby. Also included on on the main level will be an entry vestibule/mudroom, a large, open, reception desk, with integrated work spaces, two private, unisex, ADA accessible bathrooms, a small retail area “pro shop”, a small cafe/vending area adjacent to the lounge area, with a service counter, a classroom/meeting room, locker rooms, and two enclosed office areas featuring multiple workstations. The lower level of the clubhouse will feature revolving door, airlock, access to the courts/bubbles, a clear span, functional training/fitness room, men’s and women’s locker rooms with showers, and mechanical and storage spaces, including a maintenance airlock that will allow vehicular and supply access into the court areas when they are pressurized.

 

Unincorporated Greenburgh residents would partake of a 10% discount on membership and program fees. There would also be 500 free program hours offered annually from Sportime to include people with disabilities, seniors, and under-resourced youth. Sportime would also make a commitment to fund annually $250,000 worth of full and part-time program scholarships.

 

Sportime would fund the build and operate the program, giving back fees to the town that could amount to $6M during the first 15 year lease that would go back into the town parks fund.

PAUL FEINER

Greenburgh Town Supervisor