“This is the start of a process,” said Supervisor Judi Bosworth, as she stood at the podium at the Port Washington Library, addressing hundreds of constituents eager to participate in a brainstorming session for the revisioning of North Hempstead Beach Park and the 200 acres across the street from it.
The huge crowd spilled out of the Latham Room into the art gallery on Jan. 18. There simply were not enough tables and chairs in the Latham Room, so additional groups were made in the art gallery. Everyone who attended was able to contribute.
Beth Franz and Alison Shipley, of landscape architecture firm Quennell Rothschild and Partners, introduced themselves to the crowd and showed a quick slide show of the the problems with the area now, such as flooding of a parking lot, and some ideas on making it a more usable space. Franz said, “We are very excited to create a master plan that reflects the input and cooperation of the well-informed and engaged community, the dynamic town administration and highlights the site’s waterfront, parkland, wetland and woodland in an exciting and environmentally responsible way.”
Representatives from environmental groups, crew teams, small business owners and citizens from the community engaged in a brainstorming session where they wrote down what their ideal use for the land is. The ideas ranged from hiking/biking paths to a saltwater/indoor pool to a water playground and more. Applause was heard when a farm-to-table restaurant was suggested and most groups are pressing for a safe way to get pedestrians and bikers from one side of Roslyn West Shore Road to the other, most likely by an overpass. An adaptive playground for handicapped children was brought up, however, a playground for children with sensory issues was not. They have become very popular in communities recently and the closest one is in Eisenhower Park.
Elizabeth Moran, president of the environmental group Port Washington Green, worked with her randomly assembled group and thought that being able to use the park and its surrounding areas during all four seasons would be paramount to the success of North Hempstead Beach Park. They also thought a recreation center would be very popular. Moran later said, “Port Washington Green commends the town for organizing this well-run event and applauds the Port Washington community for collaboratively participating and sharing great ideas for this very special and unique treasure.”
Town Councilwoman Dina De Giorgio also attended the meeting. She keenly observed the wonderful energy within the room, and added, “I am thrilled to be able to participate in the visioning of North Hempstead Beach Park and I am grateful to the town for its commitment to revitalizing the park. The community offered some fabulous ideas and I look forward to seeing the plans further developed in the upcoming months.”
