By Hector Flores
The announcement was made at recent town-hall meeting sponsored by county Legislator David Denenberg, a Democrat of Merrick. The meeting was held March 22 at the Bellmore Memorial Library in Bellmore.
"There has been a movement to protect our open spaces," Denenberg said. "Seventy-seven percent of Nassau County approved of the Environmental Bond Act, which protects our open spaces."
Thomas Maher, director of environmental coordination for Nassau County, explained that the program authorizes the county to fund projects that fit into four criteria: open space and park land acquisition; park land improvement projects; storm-water quality improvement projects; and brownfield remediation projects.
Open space acquisition
To be considered for an open space and parkland acquisition, a property should remain open and be used as park land.
It must also adhere to the following physical or natural features: be considered as farmland; contain unique vegetation; be a buffer for freshwater or tidal wetlands; be adjacent to tributary or an open water body; be found within special groundwater protection area; contain fish and a wildlife habitat; be a scenic resource; or be considered a historical or cultural landmark.
If a plot of land fits the open space and parkland acquisition criteria, the county could seek to purchase the land. It could also then to fix erosion and sedimentation; vegetation loss or damage; scenic resource or visual loss; water supply contamination; surface or groundwater quality degradation; flooding or species loss or threat.
One example of recently acquired land is the Underhill property in Oyster Bay. According to Denenberg, the area was marked as open space and almost developed until the county purchased the property and turned it into parkland.
One plot of land that could be acquired is a parcel in Waterview Estates, at the southern end of Wynsum Avenue in Merrick, near the Cedar Creek wetlands. According Margorie Zimmerman, a local resident who has fought to preserve the area, the seven-acre parcel was illegally filled in by a real-estate developer in the early 1970s. Local residents fought with builders for more than 30 years to deter development of the area.
"In 1971, this area was a horse shoe crab nursery and an estuary for wildlife," Zimmerman said. "It has since been filled in, but now it is a pristine parcel of land in need or preserving."
Parkland improvement projects
Parkland improvement projects seek to upgrade existing park lands or turn dirt fields into soccer fields. However, bond-act monies would not provide for annual or monthly maintenance.
To be considered for improvement, a park must: have a critical environment; have significant or unique environment; be considered an architectural or scenic landmark; be a significant historical or cultural resource; a waterfront recreational resource; a significant athletic resource; or a significant resource for children.
If a park receives bond monies, the following would be done to the area: physical and environmental characteristics, such as natural and scenic areas, would be restored; water resources improved; run-off contamination and flooding reduced; and athletic opportunities or play areas for children provided.
Richard Schary, a North Bellmore environmental activist who mapped out a Bellmore-Wantagh nature trail for the Long Island Greenbelt Conference, said, "I want people to work with their school districts to preserve their local ballfields."
According to Schary, the Saw Mill Road baseball field was developed with the help of state Sen. Charles Fuschillo, a Republican of Merrick. Schary explained that development of local parks is vital to Bellmore and Merrick because there is a small amount of vacant land available for recreation. "We only have two weeks left, and residents should reach out to their school districts and develop their unused open spaces," he said.
Storm-water quality
Storm-water quality improvement projects would remove pollutants from storm water before they are discharged into bays, ponds or lakes. Water runoff pollution is believed to be the number one cause of damage to the South Shore estuary. It's hoped that improvement projects would prevent water degradation in the bays.
To be considered for storm-water quality improvement, an area must have experienced the following: closure of bathing beaches; closure of shellfish waters; aesthetic degradation; blockage of drainage system or flooding; and discharge of sediments.
Those areas that are prone to storm-water runoff would receive the following improvements: reopening of bathing beaches; reopening of shellfish waters; reduction in bathing beach closures; reduction of shellfish water closures; improvement in aesthetics; reduction of sedimentation; and alleviation of flooding.
According to Denenberg, Merrick's Smith Pond has been a point of contention among local homeowners. "There is a creek there that brings sediments and contaminants into the pond," he said. "As a result, the pond fills up with sediment and garbage. It has been dredged by the county, but it has not enough to fix the problem."
Denenberg explained that the bond act could aid in cleaning up South Shore waterways and ensure that runoff is cleaned.
Brownfield remediation
Maher explained that brownfield sites are properties formerly used for commercial and industrial purposes, and many of these properties have some low level of contamination.
"The idea behind cleaning up these properties is to take the pressure off developing open spaces," he said. "The Environmental Bond Act would provide money for the cleanup and reuse of these areas."
The bond act would address neighborhood blight by providing funds for the cleanup of soil, groundwater, surface water and vapor contamination.
A parcel of land that could qualify for this type of project is the abandoned Grandpa's Auto gas station and the neighboring land, located at the Meadowbrook Road and Washington Avenue in North Merrick. Mary Ramo, an advocate for the preservation and cleanup of the land, said, "On the north side, there is an abandoned gas station, and on the south side, there is open space."
Choosing a criteria
Maher explained that a project can also be nominated for improvement in more than one category. "A proposal that is considered a multi-purpose project would receive greater priority," he said.
He also suggested that residents who support a particular parcel of land should write one thorough application and attach their names or civic organizations on the application.
Anyone wishing to send an application can download a form from the Nassau County Web site at www.co.nassau.ny.us/eba/ebaform.
All applications are due no later than April 15 and should be put to the attention of Thomas Maher, director of environmental coordination, room 325, and mailed to the Nassau County Environmental Bond Act Program, 1 West St., Mineola, N.Y. 11501.
Only mailed forms will be accepted. Electronically transmitted forms and faxes will not. For more information, call Denenberg's office at (516) 571-6219.
Comments about this story? HFlores@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 283.
