Say what??? Downtown business owners react to zip line plan, and it’s not warm and fuzzy

News of the zip line ride being proposed for the Peconic Riverfront by Riverhead Councilman George Gabrielsen quickly sparked controversy this week.

Tentative plans call for the construction of a 65- to 70-foot-tall launching tower on the grass between the boardwalk and the riverfront drive on the west end of the riverfront — roughly opposite the Riverside McDonald’s — and a “slightly shorter” landing tower in the municipal parking lot just west of McDermott Avenue.

A cable would carry riders strapped into harnesses from one tower to the other, a distance of approximately 900 feet.

Gabrielsen told RiverheadLOCAL Wednesday he’s been talking to the owner of Westchester-based startup, Urban Jungle Zip Lines, for about a year, and hopes the attraction could be operational in time for the cardboard boat races June 29. See prior story. He said Friday the plan will be publicly presented the town board at Thursday’s work session.

Urban Jungle Zip Lines founder John Finnegan said he hopes to garner support his plan at the upcoming work session.

“We want the town to want us in there,” Finnegan told RiverheadLOCAL Friday morning. “We want to make things as smooth as possible, be good neighbors and hope people will react positively to us.”

Riverhead Supervisor Sean Walter, who knew of the proposal, said this week he thinks it’s a great idea. Councilmembers John Dunleavy and Jodi Giglio said they had not heard anything about it when asked by a reporter for comment. Councilman James Wooten, who is out of town, did not return calls seeking comment.

Many downtown business owners had a harsh reaction to the plan.

Only Bryan DeLuca, general manager at the Long Island Aquarium & Exhibition Center, said he supports the proposed location, adding Finnegan originally approached him last year with the idea of installing a zip line in Riverhead.
“I thought it should go across the river to the Southampton side,” said DeLuca, who ultimately suggested Finnegan approach the town board with the idea, due to lack of space for the project on aquarium property. “I think Grangebel Park would offer more options, but I support the project and think it will be great along the river.”

Dee Muma, owner of the Dark Horse restaurant said she sees the location as an issue for herself and other members of the parking district.

“And have we been apprised of this? No,” said Muma. “Somewhere along the line, politicians need to understand that this is not their parking lot. The parking back here is for the people who have paid for it — the parking district. We pay special district taxes and the big electric bills, not the town.”

Councilman George Gabrielsen, a proponent of the project, said he doesn’t foresee parking will be a problem, adding all are invited to next Thursday’s meeting to learn more about the possible coming attraction.

“You couldn’t ask for a better gift than to have a family event and all those people downtown behind the businesses,” Gabrielsen said. “Greenport is thriving because of its carousel, which is just for kids. This is a family activity – the greatest audience you can have. People would die to have that foot traffic. If you’re a business person, why would you complain about your parking lot full of people with pockets full of money?”

Questions were raised about whether or not the Riverhead Fire Department has the capability to make a rescue at 70 feet, which is the estimated height of the zip line’s launching tower, but Second Assistant Chief Kevin Brooks said they have a ladder just over 100 feet tall.

“I think it’s insane,” said Summerwind Square partner Ray Dickhoff Thursday. “I’ve already gone to the town and asked them if they lost their minds,” he said.

“One day, they’re naming the riverfront drive after a fallen volunteer EMT,” Dickoff said, referring to the town board’s unanimous approval Tuesday of a resolution naming the roadway after Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps EMT Heidi Behr, who was killed in the line of duty in 2005, “and the next they’re putting up a circus act.”

Riverhead Business Improvement District Management Association president Raymond Pickersgill said this week he was concerned about the project’s impacts on available public parking downtown.

Other downtown business owners whose establishments border the riverfront parking lot echoed that concern and raised others, as well.

“The second someone gets hurt, they’re going to do a general search and they’re going to sue Dee Muma, Ed Tuccio, the IDA, the BID, the Vail-Leavitt, John [Mantzopoulos of Athens Grill],” Dark Horse Restaurant owner Dee Muma said. “They’re going to sue everyone.” Whatever insurance policies are in place won’t matter, Muma said.

Muma said she also takes issue with the possibility the zip line could interfere with other uses of the riverfront.

“I want people to have lots of fun in Riverhead, but not at the expense of people trying to enjoy nature,” she said.

“All other users of the riverfront will be disturbed. Trying to eat a sandwich quietly along the water only to have some idiot screaming overhead doesn’t strike me as a fun way to enjoy the summer,” she said.

Athens Grill owner John Mantzopoulos said he’s unhappy with a lack of communication thus far between those behind the project and local business owners.

“I don’t like the fact that it was a hidden agenda between a councilman and a private business for over a year and they just want to push it down our throats in a month,” Mantzopoulos said.

“It’s not normal politics, it’s not normal procedure. There’s safety issues, there’s square footage issues … And at the end of the day, I don’t think the zip line is long enough for someone to enjoy it. You’re going to zip from one side of the concrete parking lot to the other, so you’re not going to see much. There’s insurance, parking – a lot of issues we need to discuss – not only from Howell Avenue, but from business to business,” Mantzopoulos said.

Gabrielsen said today negotiations between himself and Finnegan have been limited and denied he’s had any hidden agenda.

“He approached me last year, but it was too late in the season to get things up and running,” Gabrielsen said. “Then about a week or two ago, he called and said, ‘Look, let’s make this thing work this year.’ I didn’t approach the other councilmen because I wanted to come to them with a finished project, not just bits and pieces. The supervisor was aware of it and he loved it.”

Finnegan said the timeline reflects the development of the business itself.

“This will be our maiden voyage,” Finnegan said. He acknowledges he has no prior experience building zip lines. “Last year I approached George after Bryan DeLuca told me there was no room for it at the aquarium and suggested I go to the town board. When I realized it was too late to open for summer 2012, I said, ‘It’s not going to happen. If I can pull this together, I’ll give you a call next year.’ And that’s what I did,” Finnegan said.

Though this will be the company’s first venture, Finnegan said he has hired experienced hands to engineer and erect the structures.

“The folks doing the engineering and construction have done dozens of these, including the zip line for Superbowl XLVI in Indianapolis,” he said. “I’m working on becoming an expert in this field and until then, I’m hiring experts in the field to make sure it’s done right.”

The project’s engineers are currently working on logistics for the project, including whether or not any digging will need to be done to anchor the towers, according to Finnegan.

“We may have some anchors in the ground, but at this point we’re working on whether or not we will need to dig at all,” he said. “The goal is to be as close to the top of the ground as possible.”

Despite being a riverfront project, officials provided no clear answers as to whether or not a permit from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation will be required before construction can begin.

The town supervisor said officials are waiting until the project is brought to the public next Thursday before pursuing anything with the DEC.

“I’ve had some conversations with the DEC, but we still have to vet the whole project,” Walter said. “I’m not sure if we will need to get any permits because it’s not a permanent structure, but we’re going to wait to find out what the town board thinks of it first.”

Thursday’s presentation will illustrate specifics about the 900-foot zip line, which include two temporary tower structures between 60 and 70 feet tall.

The area required for each tower will be 1,600 square feet, including guy wires to anchor the structures, Finnegan said. He does not plan to erect any fences around the towers, he said.

He said he will have security guards on hand during nighttime hours to help prevent possible injuries and criminal mischief.

A staircase leads 70 feet up the launching tower to harness equipment and the zip line uses gravity to propel customers 900 feet along the Peconic River by a cable three-eighths of an inch in thickness, he said.

“This will be a very green operation,” he said, adding they can “operate by moonlight” though there may be future plans to install safety lighting in the launching tower staircase.

All structures, including the concrete ballasts, are temporary and can be removed at the end of each zip line season, according to Finnegan.

Though Urban Jungle Zip Lines’ original business plan (see below) included the ability to wrap the towers with fabric to transform them into billboards, Gabrielsen said the license agreement between the company and the town will prohibit the company from using the tower for advertising purposes.

“He could promote something for Riverhead if we decide in the future that’s something we want to do, but we don’t know if that’s something we want to do,” he said. “We’ve discussed putting a design on it, but anything else will probably not happen this year. We don’t know if it’s something we want to pursue. “

Finnegan said though advertising revenue would be “wonderful,” it is not necessary to make the business profitable.

No prices have yet been set, but Finnegan said $20 should secure a customer one zip-line ride and $30 for two rides during peak hours. In off-peak hours, that price may be reduced to $15 or less, he said.

Finnegan said once all necessary permits and approvals are in place, actual construction would only take a week.

He said Gabrielsen’s hope to have the zip line installed before the end of next month is “feasible.” “We’re optimistic,” Finnegan said.

 Urban Jungle Business Plan 10-29-12

{loadposition tab1}