New York Board to Discuss Belmont Park Development

New York State is looking to permanently ease some tensions over development at Belmont Park, which included a new arena for the NHL's New York Islanders, and local residents of Floral Park who have seen increased traffic and noise since the opening of the arena last year.

The state Franchise Oversight Board, which has monitoring responsibilities of the New York Racing Association's finances and capital plans, is set to meet Sept. 1 to consider a resolution designating as "open space" a small parcel of land at Belmont near a parking lot now used by the arena for Islanders and other events.

The meeting's agenda included no additional details, but the item is among those expected to be discussed Thursday—including a review of NYRA's finances, capital project completed and planned, including other potential work planned for Aqueduct and Belmont racetracks. 

The parcel at issue is a mere 125' by 125', according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. But it has created tensions in the past between the village of Floral Park officials and residents and the state and Islanders. Local media reports earlier this year said there were concerns that the site, which is owned by the State of New York, was seeing construction take place on it. 

Nearby residents see the parcel as a buffer zone between their neighborhood, a school playground, and the parking lot that is on the north end of the Belmont Park property. The parking lot also borders a new train station. It was uncertain Wednesday what other steps the state might need to take to ensure the parcel, which is triangular-shaped, remains permanently free of development.

The actual language of the resolution to be considered by the NYRA oversight board was not made immediately public Aug. 31.

Sources say the state moving to protect the parcel from development is backed by the Floral Park-Bellerose School Union Free School District, the Floral Park village government, and NYRA.

The oversight board, which will hear from top NYRA officials about the racing corporation's finances, has not met since last January.