Community members press for Inwood Park fix

Residents and involved community members are still pushing Nassau County officials to repair the building at Inwood Park that was damaged more than a year ago by an electrical fire.

The building that houses both the park bathrooms and an information booth normally manned by police officer from Nassau County’s 4th precinct is a boarded up hulk. It is the first thing that visitors see when they enter the park.

Community members held a meeting with the commissioner of Nassau County’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Museums, Brian Nugent on May 25, and so far many of the concerns residents raised have been addressed. The park’s water fountains work again, as do the lights along the pathways.

Frank DeCicco, who ran the Inwood Buccaneers, a youth sports league, at the park for years spoke with County Legislator Carrié Solages (D- Elmont) shortly after the fire, but said nothing has gotten done since. “It’s just a shame, a dying shame,” DeCicco said, “it breaks my heart to see because my parents had been involved with [the town] since 1977.”

Opened in 1956 and located at the end of Bayview Avenue, Inwood Park overlooks Jamaica Bay and its facilities allow residents to take part in a variety of different activities. There are tennis and basketball courts, a softball field, a new playground and even a roller rink available for charter. Now the park does not have bathrooms with running water.

Ilyasha Shivers has lived in the community for more than 30 years. He said he doesn’t see other parks in Nassau County looking like this. “It’s just not conducive, especially with children,” he said. “Now that summer’s here the park is going to be really populated and those porta potties are going to become an issue quickly.”

James Vilardi, a Hewlett resident who helped organize the community meeting in May likes the idea of renovating the park, but has asked the county if, “For the moment we could just finish these other repairs.”

Vilardi believes that once the project is underway it should only take a couple weeks to restore the bathrooms. Residents hope that’s right, as the current solution has been porta potties.

Restoration of the building has been held up as the county Legislature has yet to approve bond legislation that would fund major renovations to the park. A spokesperson for the Nassau County has blamed partisan obstruction for the lack of action. Borrowing money requires two-thirds of the legislators voting for approval. The county did not respond to questions about the cost of or timeline for these renovations.

Vilardi believes that without the residents of Inwood the park would be in even worse shape. “We’re getting there and that’s due to the community getting involved,” he said.