After years of pledges in her State of the Town addresses since taking office, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena is now moving forward on a long-promised effort to update the Town of North Hempstead’s comprehensive master plan.
The town’s Department of Planning and Environmental Protection has issued a request for proposals seeking a consultant to help develop a new townwide comprehensive master plan, the first update to the municipality’s long-range planning document since 1989.
The selected consultant will work with the planning department to guide a community engagement process aimed at gathering input from residents. businesses, civic groups and other stakeholders. Officials said the plan will serve as a roadmap for growth, development. preservation and investment priorities over the next decade.
“Believe it or not, it’s been 37 years since the town last updated it’s master plan,” DeSena said. “I first announced this as a priority in my 2022 inaugural address and repeated it in every State of the Town since. But for years, the effort remained stalled until I hired Commissioner Nancy Shahverdi.”
Shahverdi, who leads the Department of Planning and Environmental Protection, was hired in July 2024 according to her LinkedIn page. She will oversee the process alongside the consultant and an advisory committee. The initiative will include public meetings, open houses, surveys and other efforts to encourage participation across the town.
Town officials said updated opportunities for public participation will be posted on the town’s website as the process moves forward.
Once completed, the plan will include recommended strategies, potential zoning updates and implementation steps to guide future decision making.
Town officials said preliminary research has already been completed, including a review of existing plans, policies and key planning topics. That work will help shape the scope of the master plan update and provide a foundation for the consultant.
“The plan will help establish a shared vision for North Hempstead’s future,” said Council Member Dennis Walsh. “Our economy, environmental challenges and infrastructure needs have changed significantly, making this update more important now than ever.”
A comprehensive master plan outlines long-term goals for a municipality, addressing issue such as transportation, economic development, sustainability, parks and overall community character. While it does not directly change zoning or approve specific projects, it provides a framework for future policy decisions, capital investments and land use planning.
Officials said the update is particularly important because the current plan, adopted in 1989, may no longer reflect presentday demographics, housing needs, economic conditions and environmental concerns.
Key focus areas in the new plan are expected to include helping residents age in place, revitalizing commercial corridors, improving walkability and transit access, strengthening climate resilience, expanding access to parks and preserving the character or local hamlets and downtowns.
