The Town of Hempstead Town Board on May 13, 2025 adopted bond and improvement items for multiple park districts, authorizing work ranging from a replacement septic tank at Point Lookout to systemwide park and pool upgrades across town parks.

Deputy Commissioner Kyle Meagan, Parks and Recreation, presented the projects. He described Franklin Square Park District’s proposal as a $200,000 project to demolish and replace an equipment/recreation barn at Rath Park because the existing structure has reached the end of its useful life. For Point Lookout Park District, Meagan said the board authorized an estimated $50,000 to replace a cracked septic tank at the Point Lookout Civic Beach; the tank had developed a crack about four years earlier and recently became nonfunctional.

The town also approved a $4,515,000 package of Town of Hempstead Park District upgrades that Meagan listed as playground, field, court and pool improvements, community-room and HVAC upgrades and water-fountain work. Meagan said the program will be staggered and competitively bid where necessary; timing will depend on the seasonal use of amenities to minimize disruption.

Public questions and responses
A member of the public asked whether the Franklin Square barn replacement or other projects were related to safety incidents at parks; Meagan answered that the Rath Park barn project is a lifecycle replacement and not a response to recent safety incidents. Another resident asked whether projects would be prioritized and completed at the same time; Meagan said projects will be staggered and scheduled around field and pool seasons.

Ending: The board adopted the park-district items by roll-call vote; project bids and timing will be set once design precedes procurement.