The Town of North Hempstead will begin updating its comprehensive master plan for the first time in more than three decades, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena announced Monday, March 9. She called the effort a key step in shaping future development and preserving neighborhoods across the town.
Speaking during her annual State of the Town address at Harbor Links Golf Course, DeSena said the plan, last updated in 1989, will guide long-term decisions on land use, infrastructure and community growth.
Officials plan to issue a request for proposals for consultants to assist with the update, which DeSena said will coordinate planning across departments while protecting the suburban character residents expect.
“Our residents expect us to protect the quality of life that makes North Hempstead special,” DeSena said.
The comprehensive planning effort was one of several initiatives DeSena highlighted during the address, which focused on tax reductions, infrastructure investment and major waterfront redevelopment projects.
DeSena said the town is balancing long-term investment with continued tax relief as it prepares for the nation’s 250th anniversary in July.
“This town is built on a proud legacy,” DeSena said. “As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, we are reminded that our story is inseparable from the American story.”
The event also drew criticism, however, from a political challenger who said residents should have been allowed to ask questions following the address.
DeSena highlighted what she described as unprecedented tax relief during her administration.
Since she took office in 2022, the town has reduced taxes for three consecutive years and enacted a tax freeze in the most recent budget for a nearly 22% reduction overall, she said.
Town officials were initially skeptical that tax cuts could be achieved while maintaining services, DeSena said, but she credited what she called disciplined budgeting and operational changes.
“We rejected the idea that residents had to choose between fiscal responsibility and services,” she said.
The town’s financial management was also recognized with a top-tier AAA bond rating from Moody’s Investors Service, reflecting strong reserves and fiscal governance, according to DeSena.
Among the cost-saving initiatives cited was a voluntary separation incentive program for longtime employees that resulted in 23 retirements and more than $500,000 in annual payroll savings.
DeSena pointed to a restructuring of the operating agreement at the town-owned Harbor Links Golf Course as an example of the administration’s approach to improving revenue.
For more than two decades, the town paid an outside management firm about $200,000 annually while receiving roughly $400,000 in profits, she said.
A new contract approved in 2025 shifted operating costs and liabilities to a private operator while guaranteeing the town at least $750,000 in yearly revenue. Early projections show the figure could reach $950,000 during the first year, DeSena said.
The private operator has also invested nearly $2 million in improvements, including a renovated clubhouse and restaurant.
Infrastructure improvements were a major focus of the address.
DeSena said the town maintains nearly 300 miles of roadway but historically repaved only about eight miles annually. That pace has increased to more than 20 miles per year, with a goal of resurfacing 40 miles during the current paving cycle.
The expanded work represents roughly $6 million in road investments, she said.
The town is also implementing pavement condition index surveys — a system developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers — to evaluate road quality and guide repairs using data rather than political considerations.
Additional infrastructure work includes stabilizing a section of Bayview Avenue damaged by Hurricane Sandy and rebuilding the 127-year-old Webster Avenue bridge in Manhasset in partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a $28 million project aimed at improving rail commuter reliability.
The town has also begun converting streetlights to LED fixtures, reducing energy consumption by about 60% and lowering long-term maintenance costs, according to the supervisor.
Among the largest projects announced was a $20 million reconstruction of the Port Washington Town Dock, which was damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
The project will include a stronger bulkhead, erosion barriers, upgraded gangways, new utilities and stormwater management features. Federal and state funding will support the work, which DeSena described as a “once-in-a-generation public works project.”
Another long-term waterfront initiative involves redevelopment at North Hempstead Beach Park, often called Bar Beach. Plans include shoreline restoration, expanded promenades and recreational spaces, and potential year-round dining.
DeSena also highlighted what she called a “parks renaissance,” including a $5 million renovation of Clark Botanic Garden Park facilities and upgrades to athletic fields and recreational spaces across the town.
Improvements include new synthetic turf fields, pickleball courts, renovated playgrounds, upgraded lighting and expanded dog park facilities.
In the buildings department, officials introduced new software systems, digitized records and created direct help lines to assist residents and contractors with permits and inspections.
Meanwhile, the town’s Project Independence program — which helps seniors remain in their homes — handled more than 29,000 service requests in 2025, including transportation to medical appointments and grocery stores.
Membership in the program has grown to more than 18,500 residents, with over 31,000 transportation trips provided last year, town officials said.
After the address, Democratic supervisor candidate Sean McCarthy criticized the format of the event, saying residents were not given the opportunity to ask questions directly following the speech.
McCarthy said the State of the Town historically included a public question-and-answer period when it was hosted with the League of Women Voters.
In an interview after the State of the Town, McCarthy said he was disappointed that residents could not ask questions directly.
“I really wish the supervisor had taken questions from the floor,” he said. “It’s one of the only opportunities residents get to ask their supervisor and their elected government face-to-face questions, and they expect a response. For the second year in a row, they weren’t able to do that.”
McCarthy said he was encouraged, however, by DeSena’s plan to update the town’s comprehensive master plan.
“That was and is a foundation of my campaign,” he said. “So I’m glad that she acknowledged the need to do that.”
