While state lawmakers ponder who will run New York’s racecourses at the start of next year, some preservationists are concerned with how the debate over who owns the tracks will affect the historic oversight of that land.
The current racing franchise owner, New York Racing Association, maintains it owns the land on which the state’s three thoroughbred courses are seated. They hold that the fact that they’ve paid property tax on the sites for the past five decades proves their ownership.
The state maintains that a clause in the states’ racing and wagering laws says ownership of the tracks reverts to the state when a franchise expires.
This poses a bit of a conundrum when looking for local support to bring preserving Saratoga Race Course into the discussion for a new racing franchise.
If the property is determined to be privately owned, then the national register would not trigger any review or restrictions, said Saratoga Springs Preservation Foundation Carrie Woerner at a recent Saratoga Springs City Council meeting. `If, however, it is determined to be state-owned property, because it is national register property, then the state would be subject to Section 1409 review by the state historic preservation office.`
Woerner said the review is advisory in nature only.
`Our role is to get the local municipality’s land use laws to be used as the oversight for the racecourse,` she said. `One step of that is to ensure that all of that property is in a local historic district.`
Woerner asked for help to put historic oversight into the new racing contract in June. In the past month, more than 100 individuals or groups have joined the effort, she said.
Although Woerner made her plea locally, she said she’s surprised at the number of downstate and out-of-state racing fans who have responded.
Woerner has assembled these groups and individuals into the Race Course Preservation Coalition, which has been joined by the state Preservation League. The league will help the coalition reach out to local officials in surrounding municipalities, which in turn can lobby Gov. Eliot Spitzer and the state Legislature to incorporate certain conditions into the racing franchise contract.
The coalition proposes a four-pronged approach to protect the historic Saratoga Race Course. The coalition would like to compile a complete, updated historic resources inventory identifying all buildings and landscape features and their current condition; incorporate all buildings and landscaped features of historic, architectural or cultural significance into the Union Avenue local historic district; prepare a comprehensive facilities management plan including design standards for the Saratoga Race Course; and establish a formal oversight process to review all renovations, additions or demolitions at the Saratoga Race Course.
The current franchise holder has made an effort to keep preservation at the forefront of facilities management. NYRA’s Spa Facilities Manager Charlie Wheeler outlined some of the work done on the track facility at a recent press conference. He said the striped, snow-side roof was encapsulated for preservation, the clubhouse floor was renovated, and three out of five 19th-century barns were plumbed and restored.
`I challenge you to se if you can tell which of those barns are the originals and which we restored,` he said.
Wheeler, in his first full season since joining NYRA late last summer, said most of the work was done by in-house and local crews.
`I’m privileged and honored to be in charge of maintaining this majestic and historic venue,` he said.
The City Council has scheduled a public hearing at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday, July 17, on expanding the local historic district to include the Oklahoma Training Track and its surrounding buildings on the north side of Union Avenue.
The Saratoga Race Course on the south side of Union Avenue is already in the local historic district, and the city’s Design Review Commission oversees changes.“