By: Mike Caputo
Suozzi's plan could lead to several park closures
Bay Park slated to close; Eisenhower Park to remain open
County Executive Tom Suozzi's three-point plan to close an anticipated $150 million budget gap includes possible layoffs in the county workforce that could bring about the closing of several parks across Nassau including Bay Park in East Rockaway and Grant Park in Hewlett, a county spokesman confirmed on Wednesday.
A memo released during a Suozzi press briefing on Tuesday indicated that parks managers were instructed to devise park closure plans to file with the county by Feb. 13.
Once the park managers' plans are evaluated, the county will determine the details of each closure, explained Deputy County Executive Ian Siegel.
"We are asking our park managers for a park closing plan to help determine what closed will actually be," Siegel said. "That could mean anything from the gates locked, or the park is left open and unmanned."
Siegel said Eisenhower Park in East Meadow will remain open, but would be closed on Mondays between March 2 and May 4 and Sept. 21 through Dec. 21. On those days, residents could still use the park, but employees would not report to work and facilities and services would be closed, he said. According to Siegel, officials have not yet determined how the plans would affect the Nassau County Aquatic Center at Eisenhower Park.
In addition to Bay Park and Grant Park, other facilities slated to close include: Inwood Park, Cow Meadow Park in Freeport and Cedar Creek Park in Seaford. Smaller public areas like lakes and ponds could also be impacted, including Hall's Pond Park in West Hempstead, Camman's Pond Park in Merrick and Silver Lake Park in Baldwin.
Because of a third-party agreement with a non-profit organization, Tanglewood Preserve in Lakeview is expected to remain open, Siegel said.
Read next week's print edition of the Herald for more on this story.
Comments about this story? MCaputo@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 287.
