Oyster Bay Town seeks new concessionaire to replace Harendra Singh at town golf course

Oyster Bay officials have been talking to catering companies about taking over the town golf course concessions from indicted restaurateur Harendra Singh, Town Supervisor John Venditto said Tuesday.

"We got caterers lined up from here to Baltimore," Venditto said in response to a question from Robert Freier, an executive recruiter from Woodbury who unsuccessfully ran as a Democratic candidate for town board this year. Freier raised the issue of the concessions at the town board meeting. Venditto said a new catering company has not been chosen.

"If there's going to be a change in operations over there it's going to be done obviously in a bidding process," Venditto said.

Venditto declined to answer questions following the meeting.

Singh's attorney, Howard Greenberg of Smithtown, said his client is still operating the golf course restaurant, The Woodlands at Woodbury, and has no plans to stop doing so.

"As far as I know there's no one else bidding because there's a current contract," Greenberg said in an interview. "Singh has every intention of honoring every single contract that's been executed for any events at the Woodlands."

Singh was indicted in September on federal charges that included bribing an Oyster Bay official to obtain $20 million loan guarantees from the town. Singh has pleaded not guilty and no Oyster Bay officials have been arrested in connection with the charges.

Freier asked Venditto whether couples had been told that weddings booked for 2016 couldn't be accommodated.

"It's the exact opposite," Venditto said. He added that he and parks commissioner Frank Nocerino had fielded calls from couples and people who booked events, and reassured them the Woodlands would still be operating next year.

"They need not worry; there will be a catering establishment there and they will get the benefit of the contract they signed with the old Singh, whatever the name of the company is," Venditto said.

Venditto has sought to distance himself from Singh as the restaurateur's financial and legal troubles became public. The supervisor was a longtime supporter of the Raj & Rajeshwari Foundation, a medical charity run by Singh and his family, while Singh was a regular political contributor to Venditto and Republican committees in Nassau County. Last year the town board voted 6-0 to extend Singh's concession agreement at the Woodlands by 20 years to 2070 even though he was several months late on his rent.

Town spokeswoman Marta Kane did not respond to questions about what impact changing caterers would have on existing agreements. Canceling the agreement at the Woodlands now would trigger a payment by the town to Singh's company of at least $2 million, though the town's outside legal counsel has been looking for ways to get out of the obligation, Newsday has reported.