Riverhead delays final approval for Scrambul Runway Challenge drag-racing event

Approval of a runway use agreement with the sponsor of a two-day drag-racing event on the Calverton Enterprise Park runways next month was tabled by the town board yesterday after public comments and board discussion that lasted nearly two hours.

At its last meeting on May 4, the board unanimously approved a special event permit for the June 19-20 event proposed, billed as the Scrambul Runway Challenge. One of the conditions of the permit approved May 4 was the negotiation and approval of the runway use agreement on the board’s agenda yesterday.

The agreement requires the event organizer to obtain any necessary approvals required by the FAA for use of the active runway on the site, as well as to coordinate with the chief of police and chief fire marshal satisfy safety requirements and comply with all applicable regulations.

Board members yesterday said they had not yet seen a report prepared by Fire Marshal Craig Zitek, which town attorney Robert Kozakiewicz said was submitted to the applicant this week.

“And he raised items of concern that he wants to see addressed before the event could take off,” Kozakiewicz

Councilman Tim Hubbard asked to see Zitek’s report before being asked to vote on the agreement.

The organizer is required by the agreement to coordinate with the Manorville Fire Department and Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps to provide coverage for the two-day event, in case of an emergency.

Scrambul owner Andre Baxter said in an interview today he has his bases covered. He said he’s had discussions with the FAA and the agency’s approval is not required because the runway, though active, is a private-use runway. It remains available for emergency use by an aircraft in distress but Baxter said the FAA will alert air traffic controllers that the Calverton runway will not be available June 17-20, which includes the duration of the event and two days of prep time.

Baxter said he has made formal requests to both Manorville Fire Department and RVAC and he is waiting to hear back from both agencies.

Manorville Fire Department Chief Joe Danowski said the department will be able to assist with standby fire protection but may need backup from a neighboring department so providing coverage over two days in June doesn’t stress the department’s available staffing resources. The request is still under consideration, Danowski said.

RVAC Assistant Chief James Alfano said the ambulance corps is on board with providing coverage for the event.

An FAA spokesperson said she would look into the question of the FAA’s role and could not immediately answer a reporter’s inquiry.

Baxter said he reviewed his traffic safety plan today with a lieutenant from the Riverhead Police Department and he believes he satisfied the departments concerns and questions.

Traffic will be directed to enter the site from Grumman Boulevard, Baxter said, not from Route 25.

He said attendance at the event will be limited to 1,000 people over two days. There are 400 drivers signed up and no more than 600 spectator tickets have been sold over the two-day period. The tickets are sold out, according to the event website, and no tickets will be available at the event.

Board members’ questions and their decision to table the resolution followed comments by numerous members of the public, including residents who live near the enterprise park, either asking those and other questions or advocating the rejection of the agreement.

Residents raised concerns about noise impacts from drag racing, the safety of participants and spectators, as well as traffic in and out of the site on the days of the event. They also expressed concerns about the extent of review afforded to environmental issues, such as impacts on habitat and threatened species.

“It’s the worst possible time of the year to conduct this into the middle of the bird nesting season,” said John Turner, a conservation policy advocate with the Seatuck Environmental Association. He said the Environmental Assessment Form was “deficient” and he questioned whether the town classified the proposal correctly under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

South Jamesport resident Angela DeVito, a member of the EPCAL Watch Coalition asked a long list of questions about logistics, covering everything from safety of spectators who will bring their own chairs and sit along the runaway, to the nature of chemicals that will be used to extinguish fires should a crash require firefighter response. She also asked if the insurance required by the town is adequate for a drag-racing event.

Councilwoman Catherine Kent asked that question of the town attorney.

“The nature of this event is different,” Kent said. “The insurance that we have for this, that we’re requiring for this event, how does is compare to another 255 (special event) that we might have,” she asked.

“It’s the same insurance,” Kozakiewicz said, meaning that the insurance Scrambul will have to provide to the town is the same policy required of any other special event applicant.

“It’s what we require him to buy for a fair as opposed to this? It seems like an event like this would require more insurance,” Kent said.

“Nobody raised that before,” Kozakiewicz replied. He said Baxter provided the insurance certificate earlier this week. “I certainly can go back to them and say that we’re looking for more insurance.”

The runway use agreement requires Scrambul to provide comprehensive general liability insurance in the minimum amount of $2 million combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage for each occurrence, which is the same insurance coverage recited as a requirement in the special event permit application for all types of events.

The board began discussing tabling the resolution to approve the agreement. Councilman Frank Beyrodt asked if it could be approved subject to contimgencies.

“Not for nothing,” Hubbard said, “but we shouldn’t approve any event if all the safety plans aren’t approved. And if the fire marshal hasn’t signed off and the police chief hasn’t signed off, I don’t know what we were even thinking.”

“In the past we’ve approved (special events) subject to fire marshal approval, subject to police department approval, subject to further applications and contracts being entered into,” Kozakiewicz said. “This is a change in course and I understand it’s a little bit of a different application,” he said. He noted the application was filed in February and had been “in the queue” for three months.

“If you’re saying it’s been been a long time, guys, why why now? Well, if it’s been there a long time, why hasn’t it been completed?” Hubbard asked the town attorney.

“I have nothing further to say,” Kozakiewicz responded.

Councilman Ken Rothwell expressed concern about the impacts of delay on the event organizer.

“If he has, in fact, sold tickets and he has done different things. In an effort to assist anybody that has a business transaction here in Riverhead, I don’t want to be detrimental to anybody,” Rothwell said. “So I’m all for taking the time to review and things like that. But I just hope that everyone here then would be open that if we do need to have a special town board meeting, and we do need to make sure that we stay within his confines and our commitment to them. I hope that everyone will consider that,” Rothwell said. “So if we have to regroup to have a vote for something that by tabling it, it’s not detrimental to the event’s holder,” he said.

Kent said there are “still some things to be ironed out,” but “I don’t think that we’re looking to put the brakes on everything.”