Why did Westhampton close?

[Supershafts]

Art/All,

Being a newbie I don't want to step on anybody's toes.... just throwing out some ideas.

I fully support a new multi motor sports park concept. I want to help the cause to bring this type of complex to LI. I have been getting the word out about this site.


I am trying to get an idea of what a 1/4 mile dragstrip property size would be. If I understand you right if some had 50-60 acre private property they could put a racetrack on it with proper permits?

I like the Jaymans454 last posts idea of using the Calverton Runways. I wonder if the runways could be leased?

Mike


You aren't stepping on any toes...

Getting members here and on LIMA is the most important thing you can do... (watch how this is important**)

If you find 50 to 60 acres you would want that property to be rectangular so you have enough room for a full 1/4..
For the property to be used for motorsports...meaning it is zoned for it, the property needs hvy ind zoning.... IF NOT, then it needs to be rezoned** that means you have to fight for it to be changed and more members are needed to make that happen ...
If you have that let me know we can look at it and see if i can get other people interested

[novadose454]

welcome back marty......was quiet without ya..hopefully mr 409 can be instrumental in finding some land that either has been overlooked or hes got a hook into....who knows ..the more the merrier....its better than sitting around bad mouthing the only people that are really trying to get a deal going

[Supershafts]

There is definately land out there....
Problems are , some aren't zoned for our need or the people don't want it.

Next is the bs to go thru to make anything become a $$$$$ issue.

[RICHIESBLOWN34]

How about Pilgrim State, plenty of land there

[Supershafts]

Like i keep saying anything is possible when everyone is going to come out and really particpate and fight for what they want....

Pilgrim state would meet a fairly good oposition of noise and traffic concerns....

I'll tell you right now.... forget it.

[Art]

The Pilgrim/Edgewood property has been a political football for decades. The three adjoining towns couldn't figure out how to build an incinerator there. So now two of the there have thier own,without enough trash to run at capacity. Someone had another "good" idea about an intermodal facility. The response from the surrounding communities couldn't have been louder. Great spot? IMO yes. Viable spot? Again just my opinion, but no. Not based on what I have witnessed.

[novadose454]

if there is a spot on long island its gotta be way out there in the shit lands...like yaphank or somewhere around there...brentwood would be like nuts...

[JAYMAN454]

if there is a spot on long island its gotta be way out there in the shit lands...like yaphank or somewhere around there...brentwood would be like nuts...

as long as you don't have to cross the bridges anywere from suffolk to brooklyn is fine by me.

[novadose454]

yeah i hate crossing those damn bridges.....and the tolls are killing us....i feel like its a down payment not a toll...soon i should own it...

[RICHIESBLOWN34]

if there is a spot on long island its gotta be way out there in the shit lands...like yaphank or somewhere around there...brentwood would be like nuts...

Nova , your going to piss off Betcha again, doesnt he live out there, thats no way to talk about someone town :violent1:

[novadose454]

what im saying is..if its populated your not going to find anyone that wants it....look what happened to westhampton....it got populated....so you need somewhere ...you tell me where else...the north shore of long island isnt going to allow this.....

[RICHIESBLOWN34]

what im saying is..if its populated your not going to find anyone that wants it....look what happened to westhampton....it got populated....so you need somewhere ...you tell me where else...the north shore of long island isnt going to allow this.....

I think it went right over your head, take off the helmet and clean you face.... you look like one of Jerrys kids :poke:

[spikeybabe22]

Nova , your going to piss off Betcha again, doesnt he live out there, thats no way to talk about someone town :violent1:
play nice kids.
we dont live is yahskank fyi.

[RICHIESBLOWN34]

At least somebody got it ......way to go Spikey lol lol

[spikeybabe22]

thank you thank you.

[novadose454]

all those places out east is the same to me.....doesnt matter.....

[Tmac]

Best spot would be around industrial where no housing would go.Track in the middle surrounded by industry a landfill,railroad or airport.Has the idea ever been suggested to the politicians to try and incorporate a racing facility into a industrial zone or a multi purpose roadway used during business hours for commercial access and closed off for racing on weekends.Part of EPCAL is being built out industrial.Go to these land use commitees.I don't know if you'd be able to accomidate a 1/4 mile but an 1/8 seems possible.

[novadose454]

there ya go.......but something tells me its been done...arghh

but its always good to ask ...than not..

[betcha618]

what about getting the airport to build a drag strip right on the corner of their property. lol. No one to complain bout the noise then. We might even be able to run non muffled. lol

tHATS to scale, the dragstrip part of E-Town superimposed over a map of the airport. Looking at it like that, its just a mere sliver in the corner of their property.


http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c311/betcha618/MACARTHURDRAGWAY.jpg

[spikeybabe22]

that would be great in farmingdale. theres the airport...and the cementaries...no ones gunna be bothered there lol

[betcha618]

not that airport.

[FANTASY FACTORY]

that would be great in farmingdale. theres the airport...and the cementaries...no ones gunna be bothered there lol


Oh some hump WILL speak for the dead, It happened out east!
My Dad is in National, I checked with him over the weekend, he's good for the go,

[novadose454]

something tells me that from 911....they got security and its not gonna fly...they dont want people around the place unless theyre getting off or getting on the plane.....wonder why bill mitchell..who has his place right there..didnt put up a test track .........im sure hed be in heaven to have something like that...

[spikeybabe22]

oh some hump will speak for the dead, it happened out east!
My dad is in national, i checked with him over the weekend, he's good for the go,

one down, 43583490583495834 to go. Lol

[novadose454]

yeah it would be like christmas all year long....

[RICHIESBLOWN34]

Is anybody reading what I wrote ....FLOYD BENNET AIR FORCE BASE...in BKLYN, been closed for years, abandoned runways, many abandoned runways, anyone have any thoughts or know anyone that can expedite this :violent1:

[Art]

Richie,
I hear you. Isn't it part of the National Park system now? I used to deliver to Kings Marine down that way and that's what I recall. Wait, I got it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Bennett_Field
Not that wiki is the end of all information. So NPS runs it. The runways are certainly long enough (3100-6000 ft.) I wonder what it would take to get an answer? And how much interest there would be??

[betcha618]

thats government property. They do rent it out for car shows and stuff. My old Maxima club had a big car show there, someone did something stupid and there were 2 FBI guys there kicking him out in 2 minutes.

[Suicide666]

thats government property. They do rent it out for car shows and stuff. My old Maxima club had a big car show there, someone did something stupid and there were 2 FBI guys there kicking him out in 2 minutes.

Never fails, we got kicked out of the Kink Kullen parking lot in Eastport just for that.

[betcha618]

but we actually had a permit to have a car show there. Just the one kid got booted.

[novadose454]

are you kidding ..the list of all the places we all got kicked out of would fill a book....all because some morons like to hot foot it out of there....just to show what they got...seems like the slower cars are the ones that make more trouble trying to show the others how fast they are......

[RICHIESBLOWN34]

Richie,
I hear you. Isn't it part of the National Park system now? I used to deliver to Kings Marine down that way and that's what I recall. Wait, I got it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Bennett_Field
Not that wiki is the end of all information. So NPS runs it. The runways are certainly long enough (3100-6000 ft.) I wonder what it would take to get an answer? And how much interest there would be??

Good find Art on Floyd Bennet, knew the runways were real long, now anyone have a connection with the National Parks. Seems they do use it periodicly for some events. What would it take to run cars down there. With runways that long and that wide, safety issues would be minimal.The only thing you might hit would be a seagull if you are lucky. I have seen RC cars and planes using the field from time to time, how did they get in there and who did they see? Just another suggestion , can anyone find info on this site or is NPS off limits :hello:

[novadose454]

we took the hueys out of there when i was with the 800 mp group on oak street in hempstead.....it was a great ride in those eggbeaters.....spent the rest of my inactive duty there...they hooked me up with that reserve unit for a bit....after i got home.....

[LongIsland63SS409]

What about Gabreski Airport?


Mike

[Supershafts]

Good find Art on Floyd Bennet, knew the runways were real long, now anyone have a connection with the National Parks. Seems they do use it periodicly for some events. What would it take to run cars down there. With runways that long and that wide, safety issues would be minimal.The only thing you might hit would be a seagull if you are lucky. I have seen RC cars and planes using the field from time to time, how did they get in there and who did they see? Just another suggestion , can anyone find info on this site or is NPS off limits :hello:

For years and years many attempts were made for floyd.... that isn't happening, i can't even remember how many times that was tried anymore...
I have been trying to get in touch with ISC (Bruton Smith) on there plans for S.I., but last i had heard a trucking company was buying, then that deal fell thru and they were holding on to the prop, then there selling to a real estate...i had wanted to talk with Mr.Smith about a multi-venue park and that i could get him lots of support, but i guess they were not interested in multi venue
Gabreski we brought up once and got no response at all either way, they just sold more of it off to build ind parks, rechler bought some of it also, not the same rechler.

I just got a intro to a friend of a privately owned air field , but im not going to get remotely excited about it , but i am making arrangements to meet..

[novadose454]

got my fingers crossed for ya marty....ill settle for a 1/8 mile track......if thats all we can pull out of it...

[cowbay]

i can't even remember how many times that was tried anymore...

I just got a intro to a friend of a privately owned air field , but im not going to get remotely excited about it , but i am making arrangements to meet..


Well you know the old saying if you throw enough **** against the wall something has to stick. You never know which will be the one.

[betcha618]

i'd be happy with 1/8 mile too. if we didn't find enough usable land for a full 1/4

[LongIsland63SS409]

Looks like Suffolk County is considering selling the property that is next to the former Westhampton dragstrip to help with their budget gap.

The property used to house a missle base between 1959-1964. The missles had nuclear tipped warheads! What would the Pine Barrens and the save the Owl people say about that today :confused:

Think about this the luxury townhomes that are built on our former dragstrip are selling for $575K -up. They are located next to a former nuclear missle site that has to be contaiminated.

Maybe the Motorsports park should be located on this property. LOL

We just moved one door over five years later.

Mike

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=225853

[JAYMAN454]

Good find mike.its like the local government is saying we're runnin the county into the ground anyway ,so lets make a hand full of developers more money.

[cowbay]

I get nothing when I click on the link. What does it say exactly in regards to acerage and price?
Thanks

[JAYMAN454]

It would be interesting to see what the citizens of westhampton would
want

[Suicide666]

They wanted it gone, I use to live there. Never would have been a problem if the owner was not such an idiot.

[FANTASY FACTORY]

3000! yes three thousand! impounded vehiles, any body see any auction listed??
at an averave of $500 each thats 15 million! another of suffolks best kept secrets, and nassau is no prize package.

[LongIsland63SS409]

I get nothing when I click on the link. What does it say exactly in regards to acerage and price?
Thanks

Copy and paste for those who can't open link :hello:

Suffolk County is now considering selling its 186-acre property in Westhampton, which was used as a missile base during the Cold War, to real estate developers as part of a concerted effort to keep the county financially healthy in the long run.

Suffolk officials could line their pockets with anywhere from $23 million to $47 million if they sell the land that is located north of Old Country Road, according to a study recently completed by Newmark Knight Frank, a Melville consultant that was retained by the county. The goal, according to county officials, would be to sell the land to developers interested in building new homes on the property.

If the sale goes through, Suffolk officials would have to relocate their current operations at the site, which include a large records storage facility, a police shooting range and a training course for emergency vehicles, explained Chief Deputy County Executive Chris Kent. The property, which features the shells of 56 former missile silos, also houses more than 3,000 vehicles that were impounded by either the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office or the Suffolk County Police Department.

The silos for the missiles, the latter of which were named after their developers, the Boeing and the Michigan Aerospace Research Center, or BOMARC, are also used for storage.

Even though it states that the county should own land rather than lease it, the study also recommends the sale of the Westhampton property because it could fetch a good price on the open real estate market.

Additionally, the possible relocation of the shooting range, record storage facility and other offices further west could cut the county’s transportation costs, according to Mr. Kent. He explained that, at the present time, Suffolk employees, which include police officers, must travel to the Westhampton facility.

Mr. Kent said he and his colleagues are already putting together the proposed 2010 county budget and are seriously considering selling the Westhampton property. The county is also thinking about paying for an analysis that would determine where its Westhampton operations could be relocated.

“We’re taking the recommendations and figuring out where to put them,” Mr. Kent said.

Newmark Knight Frank presented the study to the Suffolk County Legislature in June. The consultants were hired to complete the $280,000 study in April 2008, according to Mr. Kent.

Selling the 186 acres is not the only way that Suffolk County has been looking to turn a profit on the Westhampton property. Suffolk Legislator Bill Lindsay, the presiding officer of the body, last year led an initiative to have the scrap metal left to rust in the former missile silos removed and sold to junk yards.

Michael Pitcher, a spokesman for Mr. Lindsay, said Monday that the Suffolk County Department of Public Works had removed more than 90 percent of the junk metal stored in the former missile silos over the past few months. Mr. Pitcher did not have specifics on the total tons of metal removed, or the amount of money received from the sale.

“We don’t have a tally on how much we’ve got,” Mr. Pitcher said.

Last year, Mr. Lindsay estimated that the initiative could bring in as much as $1.2 million in revenue for the county.

Mr. Pitcher said Mr. Lindsay is also working on auctioning off some of the 3,000 cars now stored on the property. Because most of the cars were involved in serious accidents or DWI cases, the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office or police department must first verify that the vehicles are no longer needed for court cases. This process has slowed up the process of clearing out of the cars, Mr. Pitcher said.

Mr. Lindsay’s scrap metal initiative sought to immediately inject money into the county’s coffers. The county also enlisted the help of Newmark Knight Frank to look at its real estate holdings in order to cut down on its yearly expenses in the future.

“We did this because we have so many pieces of property that we own or occupy, and we’re looking at all the ways we can downsize government ownership and reduce the cost of occupying county offices,” Mr. Kent said. “We’re looking at reducing the amount of property we own and we could possibly also make money by selling off assets.”

He emphasized that the potential sale of the Westhampton property is not a quick fix to make up for an anticipated $150 million decline in sales tax revenues that the county is expecting to collect this year.

“The Newmark Knight Frank study is a long-range plan on how to reduce expenses over time, by paying less for space that we occupy,” Mr. Kent said.

He added that the county is not utilizing the Westhampton land to its full potential and that, at this point, it makes the most sense to sell it to developers. “It’s valuable land, and we’re using it to store impounded vehicles, surplus equipment and archives of records, which could be done in He noted that it would be more difficult to move the shooting range, though the county should be able to find another option if pressed.

The 56 missile silos, which were built in 1959, would be destroyed if the property were sold to developers. Chris Bright, an independent scholar of U.S. nuclear anti-aircraft weapons who lives in Virginia, said the silos are not particularly valuable.

“They represent an important era in U.S. history, but there’s nothing sufficiently special about them that requires them to be preserved,” Mr. Bright said. “It’s an important thing, but not so important that it should be preserved.”

If they sell the former missile base, county officials could relocate some of the facilities to buildings in Riverhead, Yaphank and Hauppauge, according to Mr. Kent.

“BOMARC is the central storage area for all three campuses, but it’s so far east,” Mr. Kent said. “We could save money because we wouldn’t be transporting records from Huntington to BOMARC.”

Consultants at Newmark Knight Frank also offered other alternatives that could help the county cuts expenses in the future. The study suggested that the county purchase the former Internal Revenue Service building in Holtsville, and sell portions of its North County Complex in Hauppauge.

“That land is zoned residential and borders on a neighborhood,” Mr. Kent said, referring to the Hauppauge parcel. “We could make money on that property.”

Mike

[Art]

Interesting find. Given that the development on the old westhampton property never sold out, imagine the "joy" of that parcel being developed into less costly housing. Making the over priced town houses even harder to sell. A well designed facility would add zero children to the school system, some jobs and tax revenue. I dream alot though...

[FANTASY FACTORY]

186 acres would be a nice place for a dragstrip!

[LongIsland63SS409]

Old video to look at when it is snowing..........

Brings back good memories.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v16sfIf2KEU&feature=related


Mike

[novadose454]

mmmmmmmmm old vids rule...............i like that....snow is starting to fall...soooooooo heres mine...http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiUeBpjfbl8

[Tmac]

Dose the very end of that video looked like my camera work.

[Suicide666]

Old video to look at when it is snowing..........

Brings back good memories.


YouTube- Hamptons Dragway 1993 - Joseph Ametrano (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v16sfIf2KEU&feature=related)


Mike

We had that and let it go. Remember the amount of people back then? Now you know where our numbers come from>

We blow.

[novadose454]

Dose the very end of that video looked like my camera work.

yeah....i know.....i suck when it comes to the vids...ive taken pics of the sky....shoes....ground...etc....but my little street car doing a 10.8 ..makes up for it..
even though we slept at the light...

[LongIsland63SS409]

yeah....i know.....i suck when it comes to the vids...ive taken pics of the sky....shoes....ground...etc....but my little street car doing a 10.8 ..makes up for it..
even though we slept at the light...

Nova:

Nice pass. Car sounds good :3gears:

Mike

[novadose454]

Nova:

Nice pass. Car sounds good :3gears:

Mike

thanks.....always makes me smile when i drive it on the parkway....great cruisin too....

[Big Block Bill]

[QUOTE=JAYMAN454;4350]why did westhampton dragway close.[/QUOTE
__________________________________________________ _______________

Simply put...."Gary Chemeri" That is the one and only reason it closed. He stated he would never sell the track to a racer or anyone looking to keep it a race track. The track was old enough to be grandfathered in as a track, add to that I found out just a little while back that the Town would have bought the track and kept it as a local landmark, providing the track could be self supporting. Gary did his best to piss off or fuck everybody he could, including me, I'm on that long list of victims.

Any of the little stories you might have heard about major issues all could have easily been taken care of, Gary never tried and never cared to. Walter and Big Tony deserve a ton of credit for making that place function at all under the conditions they had to work. One word answer to why Westhampton closed..... " G A R Y "

[Big Block Bill]

I think if some how nascar was involved, yea i know This is about drag racing but they have the sponsors and a lot of money, build a strip within in track , this way li can have all types of racing. At one time they were going to build a circle track on staten island and at floyd bennet field in bklyn but both where put down. Any thought with nascar track people anybody got any circle track people connections

__________________________________________________ _______________

LI certainly could use a good roundy round track along with a drag strip. Riverhead is antiquated and corrupt. A local 1/4 - 1/2 mile oval would be great for local racers. Wou will not draw a big out of town crowd because of getting in and out of the city and LI couldn't handle a major increase in traffic either. A small oval and 1/8 mile, a set up similar to Islip Speedway and you'd be good to go.

[Big Block Bill]

Simply put...........Gary Chimeri