Here's how the preservation process would work: A county legislator could propose a property to the county executive. If the executive agrees, the county's Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee would consider the parcel of land. If the proposal gets past the committee, it would move to the Legislature, which would have to approve the land acquisition by at least a 13-6 vote. Finally, the county executive would have to sign off on it.
Nassau has far too little open green space left. The county was developed during the 1940s, '50s and '60s, when Nassau officials and developers were concerned more about meeting the enormous demand for housing in the post-World War II baby boom than with preserving the environment.
But keeping Nassau green has numerous benefits. For one, it maintains the county's suburban character. Without green space, what would Nassau be? Barren tracts of offices and housing not much different from New York City. The county, though, has traditionally appealed to home-buyers who want to live close to the city but who want more pastoral surroundings. So, robust green spaces help keep our property values up.
The nature preserves created with the environmental bond would be there for all county residents to enjoy. They would be places to walk and sit and relax. And they could become nature education centers for our young people.
If approved, the measure would cost residents an additional $7 in county property taxes a year. We believe that's a small price to pay for the open-space initiative's enormous benefits. Pass the county's environmental bond referendum Nov. 2.
