Newsday (Suffolk Edition) from Melville, New York • 3

Steinbrenner Tours Roosevelt Raceway Brookhaven Opts Out Of VDT Law Despite legal questions other towns weigh move By Rick Brand and Kinsey Wilson In a move urged by a Long Island business group and its director former Suffolk County Executive Michael LoGrande Brookhaven yesterday adopted a resolution exempting town businesses from the controversial video display terminal law In unanimously approving the resolution the board declared that the VDT law simply not in the Town of Brookhaven cannot sit here and tolerate an imposition such as this that threatens our economic said Councilman John LaMura who introduced the resolution Officials in several other Suffolk towns including Smith-town Riverhead and Southampton said that at the request of the Association for a Better Long Island they would consider similar resolutions although some expressed reservations about the legality of the move The action by tire Brookhaven Town Board could set the stage for a battle over the division of town and county powers and if successful could open the door to further challenges of controversial county laws such as the nosmoking regulations and a pending ban on the use of plastic containers utensils and wrappers in retail food sales County officials immediately questioned the legality of vote and said it would not stop them from enforcing the law which is designed to safeguard health and safety in the workplace by regulating the use of video display terminals County Attorney Thomas Boyle said the resolution appeared to be a because Brookhaven has no role in enforcing the VDT statute exclusively in the hands of the county health Boyle said Paul Sabatino legal counsel to the legislature said the Brookhaven vote seemed to be little more than a relations aimed at pressuring legislators who voted in favor of the law an example of what happens when people spend too much time out in the Sabatino said the opponents win in the court they want to try to create a circuslike atmosphere to press for Brookhaven town attorneys yesterday refused to discuss the legal basis for the unprecedented vote beyond saying that the board was invoking its home rule authority feel we have home rule powers and if the county feels we then they have legal said Town Attorney David Fishbein LoGrande who vetoed an early version of the VDT law as county executive confirmed that he had urged Brookhaven and other town officials to oppose the law in his capacity as the executive director of the Association for a Better Long Island The organization which represents 42 commercial real estate developers recently hired LoGrande in hopes of enhancing the ability to influence local governments LoGrande said the association ready to Brookhaven Supervisor Henrietta Acampora and the town board in its action Some town board members Baid they viewed the resolution as a symbolic gesture aimed at prodding the legislature to reverse the law while others said they hoped it would give Brookhaven businesses a legal basis for ignoring it Board members however were unanimous in their condemnation of the VDT law think government should be telling private enterprise what to Acampora said expect private enterprise to abide by these cockamamie In its resolution the board also declared that the county law possible real estate deals for the land now estimated by real estate agents to be worth $200 million if developed commercially Four years ago Hempstead Town issued $54 million in tax-free Industrial Development Agency bonds to finance purchase of the track by Roo- sevelt Raceway Associates and pay for all dosing costs Although the owners say they had attempted to make a success of the track critics have charged they never intended to continue harness racing and allowed the facility to deteriorate in preparation for making a real estate killing Mondello did not go on the tour yesterday and aides acknowledged he has never toured the track fadlity Town commerce and industry Commissioner William Heins who last week said he had never toured the track despite the By Celeste Hadrick George Steinbrenner owner of the New York Yankees longtime horse fancier and successful track operator insists he is seriously considering purchasing the now-dosed Roosevelt Raceway and making a profit out of harness racing there have come all the way up here and sat one-and-a-half hours on the runway in Tampa if I have a serious Steinbrenner said yesterday at Hempstead Town Hall He had just met with town officials to discuss turning the 174-acre track into a sports complex He then went on a walking tour of Roosevelt Raceway and dedined to comment on conditions he found there one time it must have been a Cadillac and still has the attributes that will make it a was all he would say He would have to talk to his business associates before making any decisions Steinbrenner added as he headed off to his limousine Many were left wondering whether the Steinbrenner visit urged last week by Hempstead Presiding Supervisor Joseph Mondello simply a publicity show and a way for town offi-dals to save face critics said And Richard Levin a New York spokesman for baseball commissioner Peter Ueberroth said major league baseball rules would prohibit Steinbrenner from owning the track policy is that an owner is prohibited from owning and operating any gambling Levin said But Hempstead officials said they knew of no such policy Before counting on Steinbrenner should wait and see if a bona fide offer said Richard Korn a Democratic businessman who yesterday accused town and county officials of providing Roosevelt Raceway Associates with 105 percent financing in 1984 to in effect land-bank for real estate profits would hope we would not see a $200 million bond issue floated for the next level of Korn said During his visit Steinbrenner refused to discuss finances or how much he might offer for Roosevelt Raceway He acknowledged that it would take considerable amount of dollars to put it into first-class A spokesman for the owners was noncommittal about a possible Steinbrenner offer a courtesy to the town we met with Mr Steinbrenner and showed him our Eric Ricioppo stud will consider his offer in the same way we consider all other The owners announced two weeks ago that dwindling attendance and spiraling losses were forcing them to dose the track and negotiate Please see ROOSEVELT on Page 37 Role In Track Bonds Questioned By Michelle Slatalla and Celeste Hadrick Democratic businessman Richard Korn yesterday waded into the mounting controversy over Roosevelt Raceway by questioning campaign contributions made to Nassau County Executive Thomas Gulotta by the track owners after Gu-lotta helped get them $54 million in tax-free Hempstead Town-sponsored financing for the purchase four years ago And in a separate action yesterday the raceways ticket takers union filed suit asking the state court to in effect take over the raceway because of alleged misrepresentation by the owners in the 1984 financing deal The suit also asks for $150 million in punitive damages from the track owners the amount of profit expected to be made from sale of the 174-acre tract if the facility is developed commercially Korn who is expected to challenge Gulotta for the county Beat next year noted that the single largest contribution to Gulotta last Plepse see yDT on Page 42 Please see KORN on.