As reported in last week's The Roslyn News, recommendations have been made by a select Town of North Hempstead committee concerning what areas in the town should become beneficiaries of its Environmental Legacy Fund. The $15 million fund itself is the result of a bond issue that was approved last November by town voters.

Several local parks and waterways made the committee's recommendation list. The Environmental Restoration list includes the former Air National Guard property in East Hills (which is now the future site of a village park), the Orchard Court Triangle in Roslyn Heights, Old Motor Parkway in Albertson, Ridder Pond Park in Herricks, and Searingtown Pond Park.

Coastal Areas and Waterways recommendations include Roslyn Pond Park, Lower Hempstead Harbor Aquatic Habitat Restoration, and the Harbor Trail Stormwater Mitigation. The latter three areas were among the five projects in the Coastal Areas section that are recommended to receive a total of $1,500,000 in funding.

The committee deemed Roslyn Pond Park as "an important and widely used town park." The report added that sedimentation, nonpoint source pollution and loss of fresh water wetlands have adversely impacted the ponds within the park as well as in lower Hempstead Harbor. Committee members claim that improvements are estimated to cost $2,250,000 and include dredging, shoreline restoration, planting of vegetative buffers, upland stormwater mitigation and runoff control. Legacy Funds, the committee report added, will be needed for construction work that is set to begin in 2002. They may also be needed for the preparation of design and engineering plans.

Lower Hempstead Harbor habitat restoration would, according to committee members, result in an improved water quality and water flow as well as "sorely needed habitat enhancement." Improvements would include the restoration and creation of tidal marshes, shoreline stabilization, stormwater management and erosion control, and sediment removal. The cost of improvements, depending on the selected scope, will range from $1 million to $5.5 million. This project, unlike others, is eligible for 75 percent funding from the Army Corps. "The amount and timing of Legacy Funds will be dependent on the completion of detailed feasibility and design plans by the Army Corps," the committee report stated.

The Hempstead Harbor Trail Stormwater Mitigation project would address stormwater runoff from roadways which has resulted in habitat and water quality degradation. Mitigation at one outfall is being proposed at a cost of $250,000. The report added that the project scope could be expanded in the future to include up to 10 more outfall areas. It also recommended that the timing of the construction should be coordinated with the Hempstead Harbor Aquatic Habitat Restoration project.

Of the 11 first round nominations for the Environmental Restoration fund, the committee recommended $150,000 each for Searingtown Pond Park and Ridder Pond Park projects. According to the committee, both parks require removal of sediment from the ponds as well as the installation of an aeration system. Improvements would also include aquascaping and shoreline planted buffers designed to reduce the presence of geese thereby alleviating the nitrification of the ponds. Committee members also believe the restoration of the ponds should help to control insect populations naturally while creating an improved fish habitat.

The recommendations were announced at the July TONH board meeting. The committee envisions two rounds of funding annually. A second round of funding requests was solicited earlier this month. Projects not recommended for round one will be held for two successive rounds.