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A Few Clouds TOH to raze Village Hall
“It’s a mutually beneficial agreement,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray said of the town’s plan to demolish Island Park’s Village Hall, thanks to a new intermunicipal agreement between the town and the village. “We have the equipment and the manpower to tear down the Village Hall, and we can use the village parking lots as a staging area for our equipment in the event we have another storm.”
According to the agreement, the town will provide the necessary vehicles and equipment for the demolition and debris removal of the building, which was extensively damage in Hurricane Sandy. “We used our demolition equipment and crews on our own buildings to avoid demolition costs,” Murray said. “We have the manpower. They’re all on the clock. It will be a regular workday, so there will be no out-of-pocket expenses for us.”
Island Park Mayor Michael McGinty said that he and Deputy Mayor Steve D’Esposito reached out to the town seeking a way for the two entities to work together. In return for its help, the town will be able to use the village Department of Public Works parking lot and two beach parking lots as staging areas if the area is hit by another big storm.
“We move our equipment inland when bad weather is coming,” Murray explained. But the town may need to transport equipment from higher ground to the Island Park area after a storm to service Barnum and Harbor islands and Lido and Point Lookout. Town equipment and workers could stay on site afterward, saving time and travel expenses.
“The agreement falls within the governor’s shared-services initiative, and provides a real savings for us,” McGinty said. “The village had previously asked for bids on tearing down Village Hall, and those came in at about $20,000. There will be no charge to the village for the demolition if the town does the work.”
The benefit to us is also peace of mind,” Murray added. “As we plan for a storm, we look at where we’ll need to send emergency vehicles and manpower after. This way, we know that area is locked up and we don’t have to worry about it post-storm. The real benefit to the town is huge.”
The village is awaiting for permits and permission from utilities to undertake the demolition. The building’s gas, electric, water and sewer lines all have to be disconnected, McGinty said. “Once those are done, we can begin the project,” he said.
“This partnership provides our lovely waterside community of Island Park with an important boost as it continues to rebuild from the devastation caused by Sandy,” Murray said.
