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It's
no walk in the park
New
examination of pact to transfer psychiatric center land to state parks
dept. worries local officials
BY
STACEY ALTHERR AND BILL BLEYER
Newsday Staff
Writers
January 18,
2007
A key legislator,
Smithtown
officials and civic groups are angry that the Spitzer administration is
examining a deal made just before it took office that transferred the
remaining property at
Kings
Park
Psychiatric
Center
to the state parks department.
The local leaders are worried that the new evaluation could lead to more
intensive development of the property.
That
concern stems from a Jan. 3 meeting in
Albany
scheduled by the new heads of two state agencies, with state Sen. John
Flanagan (R-East Northport). Sources said Flanagan became incensed because
he felt Carol Ash, commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and
Historical Preservation, and Patrick Foye, head of the Empire State
Development Corp., the agency that helps finance state building projects,
were intent on reversing the transfer of the remaining 368 acres.
But a spokeswoman for Ash said her department has taken no position on the
deal put together by her predecessor, Bernadette Castro, and merely is
gathering information on the implications of having state parks own the
property and oversee redevelopment of 90 acres containing most of the
psychiatric center buildings.
"We're taking a close look at the agreement and the impact of what
would be a large project," spokeswoman Wendy Gibson said. "It's
the responsible thing to do for a new administration."
While Flanagan, Ash and Foye wouldn't discuss the meeting, Flanagan said,
"I'm more than happy to work with the new administration," but
his two main goals remain unchanged: "To keep it as a park and to
secure as much money as possible for cleanup. ... If they want to move
away from anything other than park, then they are going to have a fight on
their hands."
Refer to the complete newsay
article dated
January 18th 2007
issue in the column regarding
Long island
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On Newsday to see
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