Politics & Government

Halls Pond Makeover 'Disappoints,' Irene Adds to Mess

Nassau County says Tropical Storm Irene delayed efforts to spruce up the newly re-opened West Hempstead landmark.

Plastic bags, empty bottles of dish soap and soda, and beer cans were among the sights seen by visitors strolling through Halls Pond Park in West Hempstead this weekend.

Mud puddles formed by cracks in the pavement and downed tree branches left behind when Tropical Storm Irene blew through the area last month, were scattered throughout the walking paths.

The pond itself was filled with garbage and debris, although the ducks and geese splashing around inside didn't seem to mind, and across the newly built footbridge, a large downed pole could be seen lying in the water too.

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For roughly a year, Nassau County, which owns and operates Halls, had closed it off to the public while they performed renovations but reopened most of the park last Wednesday. Residents who visited over the past week remarked that the new gazebo and benches were nice, but used one word to describe the much-anticipated makeover of their local landmark - "disappointing."

Michael M. Martino, a spokesman for the County's Department of Public Works, told Patch Wednesday that Irene delayed some of the clean-up efforts at the park and explained that the County has not completed all the work at the site.

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"After the temporary construction fence was taken down, County crews began cleaning up the park (branches etc.) and performing landscaping touch-ups," Martino said, adding that planting beds will be trimmed, and the grass was already cut and weed-wacked in areas.

"Hurricane Irene had a tremendous impact on the work being done as the DPW continues to clean up Nassau County after the storm," he added.

Aside from grass seeding and other restoration, all improvements have been completed in the park itself, according to Martino, who explained that the Bond Act budget did not support a complete repaving of the park.

The pond, on the other hand, will receive a major enhancement.

"A storm water improvement component will be worked on in the area to the north of the park," he said.

This includes the installation of a storm water treatment baffle box that will reduce the amount of floating trash and debris that enters the pond from the watershed.

The County agreed to reopen most of the park despite the fact that not all the renovations had been completed so that the community could hold a remembrance ceremony on Sept. 11 in the memorial garden erected inside.

Click through the photos above to see how the park looked as of Sept. 3.


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