Saturday, October 3, 2026
The Village of Freeport has recently received several upgrades for local Cow Meadow Park and Guy Lombardo Marina, located at 701 S. Main St. and 898 Guy Lombardo Ave.
Robert Kennedy, the mayor of the Village of Freeport, discussed the significant improvements at Cow Meadow Park, which include parking lots, drainage systems, two dog runs for larger and smaller dogs, and the installation of a $450,000 playground.
Kennedy mentioned the public beach with lifeguards is in progress in collaboration with the Nassau County Health Department.
“People have called, saying they love the dog run. The playgrounds are very nice,” said Kennedy. “The parking and the maintenance of the drainage systems were very important to the neighbors who live next door because the park was flooding into their backyards, and now we have put drainage systems in there. Most of the people have been very receptive and appreciative.”
The village received a grant from the federal government for energy efficiency, which will replace all existing lights with 50 new units and 50 light fixtures.
To ensure proper safety and security, a Rhode Island fence with automatic gate closers has been installed for $300,000.
According to Kennedy, the park is constantly monitored, especially at night, using heat-seeking cameras.
“Rhode Island fence, it has automatic gate closers, so we make sure that our residents, people are not getting into the park when they should not be there,” said Kennedy. “It’s a very strong fence that was built, and our police are monitoring it with a full security system now. So we have heat-seeking cameras so we can see if people are coming in there at nighttime.”
Additionally, Kennedy stated that the village can take over Guy Lombardo Marina, which was previously under the control of the Town of Hempstead. As it was significantly distant from the town, any necessary repairs would take a very long time.
Guy Lombardo is a beautiful marina situated at the southernmost end of Guy Lombardo Avenue.
The Marina, damaged by Superstorm Sandy in late October 2012, is undergoing renovation with the installation of new floating docks and an electric tower.
It is currently operated by Hudson Point Marina, with Freeport receiving 30% of the revenue, according to Kennedy.
“The Marina is still not owned by the building. Freeport is owned by the town of Hempstead. It has not been transferred legally to us yet,” said Kennedy. “However, we are operating it, running it, and we have farmed out the daily operation of the Marina to the Hudson point Marina, which is directly adjacent to count to Guy Lombardo.”
The village has applied for a grant to replace the bulkhead with floating docks, as it’s not structurally sound.
“A lot of the upgrades have begun already, but the bulkhead on the south side, we’re bidding out now,” said Kennedy. “And it’ll be up to the board to vote on it next week, about a 500-foot new bulkhead being placed.”
Richard Collins, co-owner of Guy Lombardo Marina Inc., stated that the village is currently bidding out the replacement of approximately 500 feet of the bulkhead on the north side of the marina, with no specific timeline announced for construction.
Kennedy told the Herald about the long-term planning, the village plans to open the public beach, make improvements to the new playground, and possibly install another ice ring.
Kennedy stated that the maintenance for the new water fountains is ongoing.
With all these improvements, economic development is definitely increased by bringing four to 500 people every week into the village of Freeport, according to Kennedy.
Affordability is maintained through resident and first responder discounts, and environmental regulations are strictly adhered to with support from local law enforcement and volunteer organizations, according to Collins.
“I think economically, it’s a boost for our economic development here,” said Kennedy. “And that’s why Freeport is named the boating and fishing capital of the northeast.”
Kennedy mentioned the use of pump-out boats for waste management in the Marina.
Various law enforcement, government agencies and volunteer agencies like SPLASH helps the Marina to keep it environmentally safe and clean. The village’s DPW staff and police ensure regular maintenance and security of the Marina.
“We work very hard at, you know, keeping the place environmentally clean,” said Collins. “And it’s our objective to continue to work with the village of Freeport, and we’re hoping that they soon get ownership property so that we can continue in the same path that we’ve been for the past couple of years.”
Kennedy expressed satisfaction with the village’s ability to manage the marinas more efficiently than it was being managed earlier.
