Halls Pond Cleanup Meeting
Meeting West Hempstead Community Support Association 7/29/25
The WHCSA held a public meeting last night at the Veterans Hall to provide answer to the
community about the state of Halls Ponds, long neglected by the County.
Hosted by Maureen Mahoney, president of the Association, the meeting was attended by Nassau County Legislators John Giuffre and Bill Gaylor, Commissioner of Parks Darcy Belyea and Assistant to the Commissioner of Public Works Connie Petrucci. Over 50 attending residents from the community provided questions to the officials with the following answers and discussion points:
Halls Pond
A man-made water retention facility with a rubber liner that holds runoff water from
Hempstead Turnpike and highways north retains silt, sand and debris that flows from creeks
under roadways and eventually runs off to Hempstead Lake Park and ultimately Reynolds
Channel and the Ocean.
There is a steel filter box at the end of the creek, prior to the pond, that is designed to trap
trash. That box is emptied by Public Works quarterly but fills up and during heavy rain, trash
bypasses the box and enters the pond. That box needs to be emptied monthly. Garbage in cans
is picked up 3 times a week.
Parks started to remove the silt and sand bars that were an obvious eye sore. They lowered the
water by allowing run off to the lake so they could bring in a piece of machinery called a
Harvester to remove the silt. That machine removed multiple dump trucks loads before it broke
down in need of a part that has been ordered. During the dredging, numerous complaints to the DEC with concern for the wildlife in the pond resulted in DEC shutting down the dredging operation
until the County pulls a permit. Parks then replace some water for the benefit of the birds. The
Permit process is underway noting the following:
Parks should not be required to obtain a permit as this is not a natural waterway and
should not have required a permit.
The wildlife in the pond is also not a natural environment issue as it is habitats the pond
from citizens leaving unwanted fish and turtles in the pond
Parks is not in the business of caring for wildlife
The public has to stop feeding the wildlife as it is not healthy for the birds, ducks, geese,
etc. and causes a pollution and mess problem that the animals leave behind
There are wildlife and animal associations that will pick up turtles and unwanted pets with a
member of such groups in attendance at the meeting.
The Play ground:
Residents requested the installation of stop signs or a traffic light on Nassau Blvd to allow
pedestrians to cross opposite the playground. Requests for more benches near the playground
were voiced. Parks said there is an adapt a bench program
Residents said the playground is too small to accommodate weekend use and needs to be
expanded. Bill Gaylor said he has applied for capital improvement money to upgrade the park.
Parks Commissioner said they intend to replace the deteriorated playground flooring, currently
a patchwork of fixes and potholes with a new liner of higher quality and durability. That work
will require the playground to be closed while they remove the old floor and pour in place a
new one. Work will begin in the fall.
Reports of racoons with rabies caught near the pond were confirmed by the Association. There
is a number to call if you spot a sick looking raccoon, especially in the daytime, call NC Health
Department at 516-227-9663 during the day and 516-574-6154 after hours. They will ask
questions and then if warranted will dispatch a team to pick up the animal.
The Department of Parks asks citizens to call 516-573-0200 to report concerns regarding any
Parks Department properties.
Unresolved: Who owns the property and maintains the creeks.
Who owns and maintains the land around the hockey rink near the pond.
