By Brian Zanzonico
The EAC will develop a list of priority projects based on nominations from citizens, civic organizations, environmental organizations and public officials, and the money will be distributed after approval by Suozzi and the Nassau County Legislature. A property or project can be nominated for acquisition of land for open space preservation and parkland; improvement of parkland; reduction of stormwater pollution; or remediation of brownfields (abandoned or contaminated space).
"Hall's Pond Park is nothing more than a festering sore," said Seth Bykofsky, head of the local civic group The Community Alliance.
Bykofsky blasted the county's "Band-Aid" approach to maintaining the park, and said that only a fraction of the $50 million would be needed to improve the only county park in the area. "It won't take $50 million to rehabilitate a gazebo, dredge a trash-filled pond, paint and repair benches and pick up goose droppings," he said. "Do what's necessary to return the park to its pristine condition."
Hall's Pond Park, which is on the corner of Nassau Boulevard and Hempstead Avenue, has long been a dumping ground for people passing through the park after a visit to one of the nearby fast-food restaurants. Wrappers and paper cups usually make up a large portion of the refuse scattered throughout the park. Three members of the Hall's Pond Park Beautification Committee have assumed responsibility for the park's upkeep. In the warmer months, they keep nine flower beds and grow vegetables, which are donated to the Interfaith Nutritional Network for the poor. Almost daily, they fish trash out of the pond and pick up litter strewn across the park.
"I hope some of you will come down and look at the debris," Bykofsky said. "Look at what Hall's Pond Park has become."
Cathedral Gardens Civic Association President Scott Jablow said he has concerns about the project, given the county's track record with its parks. "I commend Thomas Suozzi for this $50 million Environmental Bond Act Program, but I'm concerned about the future of any project the county takes on," he said. "It's great to say that Nassau County wants to remediate brownfields, improve and acquire new parkland, but how successful will they be? In our community we only have one real park - Hall's Pond. This has been a park within the Nassau County Parks Department for decades, and they haven't been able to take care of this property to any reasonable standard. How would they be able to take care of newly purchased parks brownfields once the $50 million runs out?"
Environmental Advisory Committee Chairman Brian Muellers, a former Democratic legislator from Glen Cove, said the key to making the undertaking a success is supplemental funding through private donations and grants. "By leveraging that with other funds, we can turn that into $100 million or $200 million," Muellers said.
But Jeff Greenfield, vice chairman of the Nassau County Planning Commission, who addressed the committee after Bykofsky, suggested that the county earmark the $50 million to take over private golf courses - the biggest areas of open space in Nassau - that are in difficult financial straits. "Vest-pocket parks are more of a maintenance nuisance situation," Greenfield said, referring to Hall's Pond Park. "I want to see you focus on big-ticket items."
Muellers, however, said size will not be a major factor in the decision making. "Expect a balance between big and small projects," he said. "Size is only one criteria we look at."
The process
The nomination form can be printed out at www.nassau.ny.us/eba, and sent to Nassau County Environmental Bond Act Program, One West Street, Mineola, NY 11501, Attn. Thomas F. Maher, Director of Environmental Coordination, Room 325. All nominations must be postmarked by April 15.
The 12-member Environmental Advisory Committee was not a necessary part of the 2004 Environmental Bond Act Program, which was approved by 77 percent of Nassau County voters. "It was the county executive's idea to open up the process to the public," Muellers said.
Once all nominations are in, the EAC will begin weeding through the forms. Each of the four categories - open-space acquisition, parkland improvement, stormwater pollution reduction and brownfield remediation - has its own criteria. The EAC will receive support from an Internal Working Group made up of members of Nassau County's Planning Department, Real Estate Planning and Development, the Department of Public Works, Minority Affairs and others. Properties will be selected in order of importance, such as if an area is in danger of development. None of the members can nominate properties themselves.
The open-space selection is an involved process. After choosing properties, the EAC must by law forward recommendations to the county executive. He will then send them to the Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee and the Nassau County Planning Commission for review. Once those groups have reviewed the recommendations, Suozzi must sign off. He will then send them to the Nassau County Legislature, which must approve open space by a supermajority (2/3 or 3/5 of the votes).
The parkland improvement, stormwater pollution reduction and brownfield remediation selections are a little less stringent. The EAC's recommendations are sent to Suozzi, then to the county Legislature for final approval by a supermajority.
The Legislature will receive all recommendations at once. EAC member Thomas Maher, of the county executive's office, said that Suozzi is targeting a fall deadline to have all recommendations before the Legislature. "This demonstrates a commitment on the part of the county executive and tremendous support by Nassau County residents to preserve open space and protect our environmental quality," Maher said.
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