By: JOSEPH KELLARD
While the goals of Nassau County and the Town Hempstead for Oceanside and Island Park mostly mirror those from last year, sections of both communities have a new representative eager to make improvements for them.
Denise Ford, who in November defeated incumbent county Legislator Michael Zapson of District 4, which covers a large section of Oceanside and Barnum Island in Island Park, plans first and foremost to reach out to the people in both towns to learn about their concerns. "I need to know what's going on to be effective," Ford told the Herald last week.
For guidance, Ford will meet with fellow Legislator Jeff Toback and Hempstead Town Councilman Anthony Santino as well as leaders of organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club. To get a better feel for these communities, Ford plans to take walks around their neighborhoods with these leaders.
One issue Ford will look into is the reasons for the delay in the reconstruction of the Long Beach Bridge, which was expected to be completed last summer. The county said there were delays in receiving a specific type of steel for the bridge, and Ford vowed to meet with the county's public works department for an update. "I want to find out what exactly is the problem at this point," she said, "and when they anticipated that this bridge would be finished."
While on the campaign trail, Ford encountered no more widespread concern among Oceansiders and Island Parkers than traffic-related issues. Zapson began holding traffic meetings in Oceanside last summer and vowed to continue them periodically. Ford said she would continue these meetings, both because traffic issues are "very important" and neighborhood meetings will allow her to "really let people know who I am," and to "hear all the residents' concerns," she explained.
"When I met with the Island Park Chamber of Commerce," Ford continued, "a lot of the business owners along Austin Boulevard and Long Beach Road expressed a big concern with speeders and drivers out of control. That's something that we need to look at."
Toback, who told the Herald he looks forward to working with Ford and introducing her to the communities, said he wants to pick up where Zapson left off with the traffic meetings. "I know Michael did some investigation into this area," Toback said, "and we will certainly be following up on that, and trying to especially make the commercial areas on Long Beach Road as safe and efficient as possible."
Among other county projects Toback has planned are to complete the Triangle Lighthouse project at Long Beach Road and Lincoln and Davison avenues by spring, and to investigate ways to put "underproductive properties" to "better use for the community," he said. Toback declined to specify the businesses the county is targeting, but said they are on Long Beach Road and Atlantic Avenue and in the Oil City area (Lawson and Daly Boulevards) of Oceanside.
When asked about the project he initiated to research the possibility of incorporating Oceanside, Toback said it was not a county issue, but nonetheless offered a brief comment. "We're still working on the dollars and cents issues that people were concerned about [at the meetings on incorporation last year]," he explained, "and hopefully in the next several months there will be a some form of new presentation of the pros and cons of incorporation."
Meanwhile, the town's latest project in Oceanside is the construction of a new soccer field in Oceanside Park, just north of its pool area. The field is scheduled to be completed in the fall. After completing the third phase of its street beautification project on the east side of Long Beach Road, between Homecrest Court and Davison Avenue, the town will start its facade project on the storefronts along this section of Oceanside once the weather improves.
Otherwise, the town will complete projects it began last year. One is the reconstruction of the main parking fields at the Oceanside train station along Lawson Boulevard. This will be the final phase of this project, which involves the renovation of all the surrounding fields and features additional parking spaces, brick pavers, stylize lights and plantings.
Finally, phase two of the Barnum Isle Road improvement project will continue, and will include a resurfaced road and additional drainage on Audobon Boulevard, a portion of Broadway, Kingston Boulevard, a portion of New York Avenue and Wavecrest Place North.
Said Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray about the town's goals, "I look forward to working with residents of the Oceanside and Island Park communities in the coming year."
