Laura Curran signs parks access bill

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Nassau County Executive Laura Curran on Nov. 13 signed a bill into law that requires the county to study to evaluate all open spaces it owns to determine which should be open to everyone and which are unsafe for public access. The study would take 60 days, Curran said when signing the bill.

“We need to ensure that our residents’ rights to safely enjoy these precious county resources are protected,” Curran, a Baldwin Democrat, said in a statement. “I support access to Nassau County’s beautiful parks and open space.”

Richard Nicolello, presiding officer of the Nassau County Legislature, proposed the law in August after a series of reports in Newsday detailed unfulfilled promises to improve and grant public access to lands purchased by the county as part of the Environmental Bond Acts of 2004 and 2006. Many of the lots bought through the bond — for a total of $150 million — benefited county appointees and those connected to former county executives Tom Suozzi, now a U.S. representative, and Ed Mangano, who faces federal corruption charges.

The original bill would have granted public access to all county-owned open space, but Curran and others said some sites were unsafe and should remain closed off. One such example, according to residents, is a four-acre lot of tidal wetlands at the end of Parkway Drive in Baldwin, which is blocked by a locked fence.

The county bought the Baldwin wetland in 2006 to block the development of 11 detached houses. The plot is home to ospreys, blue herons and sea turtles. Resident John Lowe said that opening the land to the public would endanger the natural habitat. The wetland also improves water quality in the Parkway Drive canal by filtering runoff and pollutants, and during Hurricane Sandy it helped reduce damage to waterfront homes by acting as a buffer against the storm.

County Legislator Debra Mulé, a Freeport Democrat, said she agreed the wetland should continue to be closed to the public.

Nicolello amended the bill in October to require the Public Works and Parks departments to determine which parcels may be unsuitable for public access due to the nature of the property. “This amended legislation affords our public access to parkland and open spaces while recognizing that our departments must be also be able to manage these county assets in a fiscally and environmentally responsible way,” Curran said.

Mulé said she was pleased the law signed by Curran would mandate an inspection of each parcel. “I’m pleased that it’s the law and I’m pleased the final version takes into account that it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” she said. She added that she hopes legislators are briefed on the study.

Minority Leader Kevan Abrahams, a Freeport Democrat, had opposed the bill but said he was pleased with the compromise. “Open space in Nassau County is limited and precious, and it is critically important to embrace every opportunity to preserve these natural assets,” Abrahams said in a statement. “By ensuring Nassau County residents are able to fully enjoy our open space acquisitions while protecting environmentally sensitive land, this legislation strikes the right balance.”

The commissioners of DPW and Parks would send their determinations to the Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee, which must approve all decisions to open lands to the public. The restricted spaces would be marked with appropriate signs.