Westbury, Port Washington North, Mineola dream up big upgrades with 'pro-housing' funds
The piazza in the middle of downtown Westbury on Monday. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp
A sprawling park with walking trails and fitness equipment. A parking lot with electric charging stations. A revamped community center with new windows and floors.
These are among the improvements the mayors of Port Washington North, Westbury and Mineola are dreaming up for their respective villages.
The villages in North Hempstead Town have all earned "pro-housing" certification from the state, meaning they can tap into a $650 million pot of state discretionary funds.
Municipalities need to demonstrate they’ve increased housing stock by 1% in the previous year or 3% in the previous three years to earn certification — or, they can pass resolutions committing to those goals and submit to the state data demonstrating those goals are within reach.
More than 160 locales across the state have earned "pro-housing" designation, including 11 on Long Island.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul praised Westbury, Port Washington North and Mineola for prioritizing housing growth.
"They are working to ease the housing crisis and unlock opportunities for families to live and thrive in New York State," Hochul said.
In Westbury, in addition to the electric charging stations, mayor Peter Cavallaro said he wants the village's parks to be accessible for children of all abilities. He also said he'd like to revamp the downtown piazza to update its landscaping, waterfall, acoustics and more.
"It's an outdoor area, and so there's ambient noise from trucks and cars," Cavallaro said. The mayor said he would like to add sound buffers around the piazza. "If you're having a concert, or you're having some other type of event, sometimes the ambient noise is difficult," Cavallaro said.
In Port Washington North, Mayor Robert Weitzner would like to use the potential grant money to beautify public outdoor space.
The village has plans to build an accessible playground for children with autism and other disabilities, and he wants to build an expansive park around it. In addition to the walking trails and fitness equipment, Weitzner wants to construct gazebos, water fountains, fencing, lights and more.
"We’re looking to do things that can bring in, on occasion, economic viability to our businesses," Weitzner said. "It’s important that we can find ways of attracting people in that they’ll use the playground, and then after that, go shopping, catch a bite to eat."
Port Washington North, meanwhile, has around 1,300 units of housing — 310 of which are apartments.
A proposal for 44 new townhomes has drawn controversy.
In May, residents sued the village after its planning board recommended the village build a senior living complex.
While Westbury and Port Washington North earned "pro-housing" certification this summer, Mineola did so in February. The village has built more than 1,100 multifamily apartment units over the past 12 years, bringing the village total to more than 3,000. Another 800 units are in the pipeline, Mayor Paul Pereira said.
Mineola’s village hall is in a former school building with its community center in the old gymnasium. The village has applied for the Capital Improvements Grants for Pro-Housing Communities, with hopes of bringing the community center into "this century," Pereira said.
The community center is used by senior groups, athletic associations, Boy Scouts and more.
"We need improvements in the air conditioning and heating system, the floor needs to be replaced, the stage needs to be rehabilitated, windows need to be replaced," Pereira said. "If we can get the state’s help in doing that, for the benefit of thousands of residents that use it yearly, that would be great."
A sprawling park with walking trails and fitness equipment. A parking lot with electric charging stations. A revamped community center with new windows and floors.
These are among the improvements the mayors of Port Washington North, Westbury and Mineola are dreaming up for their respective villages.
The villages in North Hempstead Town have all earned "pro-housing" certification from the state, meaning they can tap into a $650 million pot of state discretionary funds.
Municipalities need to demonstrate they’ve increased housing stock by 1% in the previous year or 3% in the previous three years to earn certification — or, they can pass resolutions committing to those goals and submit to the state data demonstrating those goals are within reach.
More than 160 locales across the state have earned "pro-housing" designation, including 11 on Long Island.
In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul praised Westbury, Port Washington North and Mineola for prioritizing housing growth.
"They are working to ease the housing crisis and unlock opportunities for families to live and thrive in New York State," Hochul said.
In Westbury, in addition to the electric charging stations, mayor Peter Cavallaro said he wants the village's parks to be accessible for children of all abilities. He also said he'd like to revamp the downtown piazza to update its landscaping, waterfall, acoustics and more.
"It's an outdoor area, and so there's ambient noise from trucks and cars," Cavallaro said. The mayor said he would like to add sound buffers around the piazza. "If you're having a concert, or you're having some other type of event, sometimes the ambient noise is difficult," Cavallaro said.
In Port Washington North, Mayor Robert Weitzner would like to use the potential grant money to beautify public outdoor space.
The village has plans to build an accessible playground for children with autism and other disabilities, and he wants to build an expansive park around it. In addition to the walking trails and fitness equipment, Weitzner wants to construct gazebos, water fountains, fencing, lights and more.
"We’re looking to do things that can bring in, on occasion, economic viability to our businesses," Weitzner said. "It’s important that we can find ways of attracting people in that they’ll use the playground, and then after that, go shopping, catch a bite to eat."
Port Washington North, meanwhile, has around 1,300 units of housing — 310 of which are apartments.
A proposal for 44 new townhomes has drawn controversy.
In May, residents sued the village after its planning board recommended the village build a senior living complex.
While Westbury and Port Washington North earned "pro-housing" certification this summer, Mineola did so in February. The village has built more than 1,100 multifamily apartment units over the past 12 years, bringing the village total to more than 3,000. Another 800 units are in the pipeline, Mayor Paul Pereira said.
Mineola’s village hall is in a former school building with its community center in the old gymnasium. The village has applied for the Capital Improvements Grants for Pro-Housing Communities, with hopes of bringing the community center into "this century," Pereira said.
The community center is used by senior groups, athletic associations, Boy Scouts and more.
"We need improvements in the air conditioning and heating system, the floor needs to be replaced, the stage needs to be rehabilitated, windows need to be replaced," Pereira said. "If we can get the state’s help in doing that, for the benefit of thousands of residents that use it yearly, that would be great."
North Hempstead's 'pro-housing' communities
- Port Washington North, Westbury and Mineola have all earned "pro-housing" certification from the state.
- "Pro-housing" municipalities can access a pot of $650 million of state discretionary funds.
More than 160 locales across the state have earned the "pro-housing" designation.
Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.
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