By Scott Brinton
Since the fall of 1999, U.S. military officials have repeatedly said cleanup of the former North Bellmore Army base was winding down. This time, it is complete, they say.
Peter Koutroubis is Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) coordinator for the deserted North Bellmore base at Maple and Liberty Avenues. Koutroubis said that, after several excavations to remove hazardous materials there, he is ready to declare the site safe.
"As far as we see at this point, there is no other work remaining to be completed in order to turn the property over for community use," Koutroubis said.
Under BRAC's direction, the Army shut down the installation in October 1994 as part of a federal effort to reduce military spending by eliminating underused bases across the country. Closing the North Bellmore base, however, has proved difficult because of environmental concerns.
Starting in the mid-1950s, the 17-acre installation served as a repair station for military vehicles and small missiles. During the $1-million base cleanup, which began in 1996, Army engineers discovered hazardous materials in the soil. Contaminants included heavy metals and, in certain spots, cyanide.
Contaminated soil was covered with plastic and hauled from the base, Koutroubis said. The Army also removed two underground gasoline tanks, one measuring 1,500 gallons and the other 1,080 gallons.
Koutroubis recently filed his final base report with the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the county Department of Health, as well as the Restoration Advisory Board, a panel of local residents overseeing the cleanup.
Seaford resident Christine Marzigliano is the board's vice chairwoman. Marzigliano said she has begun reviewing the report, and she believes the base is safe. "So far, all of the reports I'm reading say that it's clean. It's pretty well ready to be released on the environmental side."
The Army's report will receive a public hearing at Mepham High School in the spring, Koutroubis said, though he could not give a date and time.
Base's fate undecided
The remaining question is: What will become of the base?
Federal law requires that closed military installations go for homeless housing "whenever possible." To date, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, which enjoys the ultimate say in the matter, has insisted that any plan for the North Bellmore base include homeless housing. However, the Town of Hempstead, which will control the property after the Army, has balked, saying that it would prefer to erect senior and single-family homes.
In fact, the town called for a 40-unit senior-citizen cooperative and 34 single-family houses at the site in its May 1997 proposal to HUD. Many residents in the surrounding area said they favor the town's plan, fearing that homeless housing would send their property values plummeting.
Throughout 2000, U.S. Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) had negotiated with Andrew Cuomo, the former HUD secretary and son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, seeking a compromise.
"We came close to a deal a couple of times," Rep. King said. However, each time, the agreement fell through, he said.
On the table was a proposal that would have allowed the town to compensate homeless providers with funding; the providers would in turn build housing elsewhere. "Then," said King, "there was the question of how much [funding]," which proved the sticking point during negotiations.
"It was a difference of money, but it wasn't that much," the congressman said.
Recently, President Bush appointed conservative Republican Melquiades Martinez, the former Orange County, Fla. chairman, as HUD secretary. He replaced Cuomo, who is a Democrat. With a new GOP administration in Washington, HUD might reverse its earlier stance and allow the town's plan for the base, local officials say.
State Assemblywoman Kathleen Murray (R-Levittown) said that HUD "may accede to the Town of Hempstead or propose a similar situation to the town. It could be a wholly different scenario for the future of the base."
Park proposed
Either way, county Legis. Norma Gonsalves (R-East Meadow) said she would like to see a park as part of plans for the former base. "I know a number of people have voiced their concerns that North Bellmore is the only community [in Hempstead] without a park of its own," Gonsalves said.
"I know we need senior housing. I'm not saying scrap senior housing. I'm saying maybe we can combine [a park] with senior housing."
Gonsalves cited a former 50-acre Air National Guard base that was recently deeded to the Village of East Hills for conversion as a park. The village paid $3.3 million for the property, the estimated worth of which was $26 million.
The fact that East Hills got a park, rather than housing of any kind, has North Bellmorite Richard Schary, a staunch environmentalist, up in arms. "The point is that it seems to me that the people are being treated differently on the North Shore than on the South Shore," said Schary. "In other words, a more affluent area is told they can have a park at 10 cents on the dollar, and we're told that we have to follow the rules and accept the rules, and I think this is very unfair."
State Assemblyman Thomas DiNapoli (D-Thomaston), who sits as chairman of a State Legislature panel assessing Long Island's water resources, was instrumental in having the former East Hills base declared a special groundwater protection area.
Michael Deering, DiNapoli's spokesman, said, "This is an important groundwater supply area, which made some of this [the park] possible, in terms of protecting one of the most important groundwater recharge areas for Nassau County."
Legis. Gonsalves said that she would seek help from Rep. King (R-Seaford) to have at least part of the North Bellmore base declared a park. She is also calling upon town Councilwoman Angelina Cullin (R-Freeport) for help. Assemblywoman Murray said she would look into the matter, as well.
Of the park proposal, Rep. King said, "That to me is a decision to be made by the [Hempstead] Town Board. Whatever they agree on is acceptable to me." A town representative was unavailable for comment for this article.
Gonsalves said, "If we can preserve some of this [the base] for open space and provide a park for North Bellmore residents, we will all be winners. We will all be victorious. We will be doing something for the present and something for the future."
Meanwhile, until the base's future use is determined, it will remain under the Army's watch, Koutroubis said.
