By:Laura Lane
Bottles, beer cans, motor oil, insects, grass cuttings and dog feces can be found in the pond, which lies just north of the Sunrise Highway and Merokee Preserve. The stench -- and the mosquitoes -- can be so overwhelming, the residents say, that they're forced to stay inside during the warmer weather.
For months, the homeowners, who own the pond, have demanded that Nassau do a better job of cleaning it, in accordance with an agreement they have with the county. But thus far, they say, the county has offered little help.
The homeowners, many of whom belong to the Smith Pond Homeowners Association, were asked to meet last week with county Legislator David Denenberg (D-Merrick). But the meeting was postponed for a week because civic leaders said they weren't given enough notice, and then it was canceled.
Kieran Crowley, president of the Smith Pond association, said he was given two hours' notification before the meeting was to take place. Barry Fox, president of the Merrick Park Home Owners Association, which supports the Smith Pond group, said he was given about the same notice.
Denenberg, Peter Gerbasi, the county commissioner of public works, and Brian Schneider, a public works engineer who has worked to solve the issues at Smith Pond, were all set to attend the meeting.
The legislator said the meeting was called to discuss ongoing maintenance that the county is performing at the pond and to develop long-term solutions there.
At first, the meeting was rescheduled for Wednesday, April 28. But Crowley then called it off. "When [the homeowners] wanted to have a meeting, [the county] ignored us," said Crowley, alluding to requests that the homeowners association made last fall. "The county hasn't written or called us to tell us what they want to do. We want to know what this meeting is about before we walk into the room. We need an agenda and would like a rescheduled meeting date."
In calling the meeting, Denenberg said he believed he was responding to civic leaders' requests. He also said the county has worked to restore the pond to its pristine condition. The county recently installed a boom there to trap floating garbage that flows into the pond from storm drains. "We're seeing if the boom worked. I think it's been checked once a month," said Denenberg. "And the county was out three days this week to clean up in their rowboats."
Denenberg also said he believes the Town of Hempstead must help clean up the pond. He noted that the garbage that spills into it comes from town roads. "The storm-water runoff is the town's responsibility, and the county needs for the town to be responsible too," he said. "And a lot of what is thrown into the pond is done by landscapers. The county is trying to take responsibility, but we don't own the residential roads where the runoff comes from."
Crowley, however, said the county has to do more. "We want the county to improve the cleanup program," he said. "They put tons of silt and garbage into the pond ... They are legally required to clean it."
Judy Tager, a 48-year Smith Pond resident, has been unable to sit in her backyard for two years. She has a beautiful view of the pond, but she worries about mosquitoes and said the smell from the pond is overpowering. "Nothing has changed since last year. It's a disgrace," said Tager. "When the wind is blowing, all the junk moves all over the place, and I get it. It really used to be so nice in the backyard. I can't barbecue anymore."
