Nassau County looks to prevent sinkholes with $15M repair; Five Towns villages plan ahead

Over the past two and a half months, three sinkholes have opened up in three Nassau County hamlets, Lido Beach, Baldwin and Oceanside.

The gaping, crater-like holes in the middle of well-used streets have led residents and elected officials to raise questions about whether the county’s aging infrastructure is to blame — and whether other communities should be concerned, too.

“No part of our County or our region is immune from infrastructure failures like the ones we have experienced during the last month,” County Legislator Debra Mulé, whose district includes Baldwin, wrote in a letter to local, state and federal representatives on July 3. “We must take decisive action to protect our environmental assets and secure the health and safety of all Nassau County residents by averting future catastrophes such as the ones that the residents of Baldwin and Lido Beach have endured.”

Broken or damaged drainpipes can lead to the formation of sinkholes, as can drilling, construction and heavy traffic.

Village officials in the Five Towns say they are seeking preventive solutions. Cedarhurst’s most busiest streets and roads — Broadway, West Broadway and Rockaway Turnpike — are, according to Mayor Benjamin Weinstock, maintained by the county.

Weinstock said that with the exception of Washington Avenue, local streets in the village don’t see as much heavy traffic as those that fall under county jurisdiction.

He said that at the next village board meeting, scheduled for Sept. 11 the trustees will discuss the issue and scope out ways to prevent sinkholes.

In Lawrence, improving and upgrading the village’s streets is already under discussion. “We never know where a sinkhole is going to pop up, but we are constantly upgrading our infrastructure,” a village representative said. “As we speak, we are out to bid for the next 2023 pavement and drainage improvements.”

Lawrence aims to repave roads based on recommendations to its board by the village’s engineering company, the building and highway departments and Deputy Village Administrator Gerry Castro.

Roads that are out for bid include Beach 2nd Street, Breezyway, Herrick Drive, Margaret Avenue and Rosalind Place, village officials said. Bids are expected to be reviewed next week.

The sinkhole in Lido Beach, on Lido Boulevard, opened up when a sewer pipe cracked and collapsed, and the Baldwin sinkhole fractured the pavement at the busy intersection of Grand and Lorenz avenues, and was also caused by a pipe failure. Then an underground water main burst on Oceanside’s Foxhurst Road.

Castro said that whenever Lawrence is undertaking any roadwork, the village contacts the utility companies, including Liberty, PSEG Long Island and National Grid, to see if they want to do any upgrades underground.

“We inform them that we’re going to do road surfacing, because now they have the chance to come in and redo their infrastructure if they deem it necessary,” Castro said.

County legislators unanimously approved a $78 million borrowing plan for infrastructure projects on Aug. 7, which included $15 million for sewer line repairs to help prevent more sinkholes.

Mulé emphasized the need for funding for efforts to keep the ground from opening up in other parts of the county, and called on County Executive Bruce Blakeman to create an emergency infrastructure plan.

“There is an urgent need to repair our aging infrastructure,” Mulé said at a news conference in Mineola, also on Aug. 7. “There is no doubt this will happen again here and in all parts of Nassau County.”

Additional reporting by Parker Schug