Six Flags compromise plan wins support in Agawam

[29yrswithaGApass]

Source: The Republican

 

Six Flags compromise plan wins support in Agawam

Friday, June 13, 2008By DAVID BERGENGREN dbergengren@repub.com

 

AGAWAM - Local officials were supportive yesterday of a compromise proposal that would allow Six Flags New England to build roller coasters and other structures up to 125 feet in height without a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

 

The proposal was put forth by City Solicitor Christopher C. Johnson at a joint meeting of the City Council Ordinance and Zoning Review Subcommittees on Wednesday.

 

It would leave the current 45-foot Business B Zone height limit intact inside a 150-foot buffer zone at the boundaries of Six Flags' Main Street property and apply the 125-foot limit everywhere else at the site.

 

It backs away from the Ordinance Subcommittee's proposal two weeks ago to amend the city's zoning ordinance to allow Six Flags to build structures up to 200 feet in height without the special permit requirement.

 

Johnson pointed out that the amusement park's only current ride taller than 200 feet - the Superman Ride of Steel roller coaster, at about 233 feet - was built at a site with an elevation significantly lower than Main Street.

 

Allowing Six Flags to build up to 200 feet without a special permit would open up the possibility of a huge structure near Main Street or nearby residences, Johnson told members of the two subcommittees.

 

The subcommittees asked Johnson to turn his ideas into a formal proposal to present to the full City Council, which must approve any amendment to the zoning ordinance.

 

Six Flags abandoned a planned $7.5 million indoor roller coaster in April after a series of delays, some of which stemmed from the Zoning Board's review process.

 

Though there was criticism that the park started construction before it had all the required permits, city officials have said they were unhappy Six Flags - which pays Agawam more than $2 million a year in real estate taxes - had to give up on building the ride.

 

"It makes sense," Mayor Susan R. Dawson said yesterday of Johnson's proposal, saying of Six Flags, "If they already have rides that are 125 feet, why not allow that (again), if it was already allowed (before)?"

 

"They keep getting bounced back and forth like ping-pong balls (when they seek permits), and each time they do, there's a delay in the building process," Dawson said. "Not that they shouldn't have to go through the process, (but) it's those delays that we're trying to help them with."

 

Zoning Board Chairwoman Doreen A. Prouty said her board, as a rule, was not the reason Six Flags was encountering delays in its proposed projects, but said Johnson's proposal "sounds pretty reasonable to me."

 

"I think it's a good compromise," Prouty said.

 

Six Flags President Larry D. Litton told the two subcommittees Wednesday that "The majority of the coasters we're considering (building) now are 125 feet or below."

 

Referring to Johnson's proposal to limit tall building to the part of the park inside a 150-foot buffer zone, Litton said, "It makes perfect sense. That's where we build our rides anyway."

 

"We have no intention of building a large ride on Main Street," Litton said. "It just doesn't make sense."

 

 

I wonder if the Dark Knight Coaster is still in storage at the park and if it will make a return next season.

[JetsDevs4Lyf]

This is a very interesting article in a few aspects. As I began to read it the same though popped into my mind with the Dark Knight still not having a true home in the chain right now. Another thing that caught my eye was the mention that the majority of coasters being considered for construction were less than 125 feet. Could this show a trend in the coming years or more Dark Knight/Tony Hawk/etc type rides instead of the mega coasters for the chain as a whole, of is SFNE simply looking smaller for the time being by themselves?

[Railer]

125ft. is not a bad thing these days. I would love to have 120ft. drop at 120 degree angle (Steel Hawg) And Maverick & Fahrenheit are both around 100ft. high. So height doesen't have the same meaning as it once did. And by the way have any of you seen the Steel Hawg pics, that first drop looks insane.