Thursday, October 1, 2026
Uniondale residents called for additional investments in the hamlet’s parks as the summer season began, urging local officials to prioritize long-discussed projects including a public pool, walking and running tracks and expanded recreational amenities.
The discussion at the May 24 monthly meeting of the Uniondale Empowerment Resource Center, at Bernard Brown Park, brought together community members as well as Bill Harkins, acting commissioner of Nassau County parks, and Dorothy Goosby, deputy Town of Hempstead supervisor. Harkins discussed recent park improvements and responded to questions about future projects, funding and neighborhood quality-of-life concerns.
While he highlighted improvements completed in recent years, many residents focused on what they described as the community’s current, unmet needs.
Rosslynn Pieters, a board member of the resource center said that she and other residents continue to advocate for recreational amenities they believe are lacking.
“It’s not right that we are paying these taxes and our children have to go outside of our community for these basic amenities,” Pieters said, referring to a public pool. “Swimming isn’t just about recreation — it’s a life skill.”
Other residents noted that many families travel to neighboring communities, such as the Village of Hempstead, East Meadow or Baldwin, for public pool access, and said that local children should have opportunities to learn water safety close to home.
The Town of Hempstead operates 23 public pools. Goosby said that bringing a pool to Uniondale is something the town was “looking into,” though she offered no details.
Private swim options are available, but they can be costly. My Own Lane Aquatics, a swim school based in Adelphi University’s pool, offers typically five-week sessions with one session a week for those of all ages for $200. The Uniondale Police Activity League, which uses Uniondale High School facilities, charges similar fees, starting at $200 for beginners and ranging up to $325 for competitive swimmers. The Uniondale school district provides free instructional swimming also at the high school but only for elementary students.
Pieters also said she thought that adding walking and running tracks to the hamlet’s parks would not only be a benefit to athletes but give senior citizens a safe space to exercise. The only parks in Uniondale large enough to accommodate tracks, she said, would be Uniondale Park and Cedar Street Park.
“There should be something where seniors can congregate, exercise, and be healthy during the day,” Pieters said.
She asked whether Nassau County funding could be released to Uniondale to create facilities that are seen by many as long overdue.
One form of county funding is capital projects, which are proposed by County Executive Bruce Blakaman and then voted on by the Legislature. The other is legislators’ capital funds, which lawmakers such as Viviana Russell and Olena Nicks, who represent Uniondale, would use to sponsor or advocate projects in their districts.
“Legislators have to be the ones who have to advocate for the funds to be released to our community,” Pieters said. “I know Legislator Olena Nicks, Scott Davis and Viviana Russell — they’ve been really trying to work hard to get those funds released to our community.
“But I think there’s a stopgap there from the county,” Pieters added, “which is a big problem. one of the concerns we've heard is that funding is being held up, and that slows down projects our community has been waiting for."
I'd like to see the County be more transparent and accountable about the funding," she continues "And work more closely with the Town and our legislators to make sure Uniondale gets the same level of investment as other communities, so we can keep moving these projects forward promptly and give residents the amenities they deserve."
Other residents have observed that while other communities have updated traffic signs or street repairs, Uniondale often seems to be the last to receive funds for such projects.
“We’re not working with them,” Goosby said of the county. “They have much more money than we do — that’s a whole different ballgame. They’re not going to help us. They’re not going to give [money] to us, so we are going to do the best we can with what we have.”
“I have to go to the Town of Hempstead to tell them Uniondale is also a place that needs help,” Resource center President Stacey Richardson said. “And when I say that, it’s because everybody that comes back from the Legislature, they go to Hempstead.”
The Village of Hempstead received a $9.9 million state grant in 2025 to renovate and replace a pool to Kennedy Memorial Park. That same year, the village also secured a $15 million grant for renovations to Mirschel Park, which includes a new community center.
“I have to tell you that the money is here,” Hempstead village Trustee Clariona Griffith said. “I’ve been up to Albany — I lobby every single year for the businesses not just in Hempstead, but also Nassau County and Suffolk County. All we need to do is go to the board meetings and now hold those legislators and those people that are in the Town of Hempstead, Nassau County — we need to hold them accountable.”
Harkins pointed to several recent investments in Uniondale parks, including improvements to athletic fields, resurfaced basketball courts and expanded recreation programming. Officials encouraged residents to use the county website at nassaucountyny.gov, to register for seasonal classes and activities offered throughout the year.
