Mulé wants to finish revamping old infrastructure

From the Kellogg House renovations to the crumbling infrastructure in her district, Debra Mulé has set her priorities for a potential fourth term.

The Democrat currently represents the Nassau County Legislature’s fifth district, but after censusfueled redistricting, Mulé moves to the sixth district that encompass parts of Baldwin, Oceanside and Freeport.

The infrastructure issues hit Mulé’s district through a number of sinkholes, so she’s planning to work to get funding for underground piping through another term. Despite being in the minority, Mulé believes she can continue finding common ground among her colleagues from across the aisle to fix these urgent issues.

“What is happening is, we have aging infrastructure,” Mulé told reporters at a recent Herald Roundtable session. “So, sewer pipes are getting cracks in them, and the dirt that’s underneath the pavement is going in the cracks. And with nothing to hold up the pavement, you get sinkholes.”

Infrastructure in some places is about 80 years old, Mulé said. After a sinkhole opened on Grand Avenue in late June, Mulé sent letters to U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman in the hopes funding these infrastructure capital projects would become a priority.

“There’s going to be sinkholes everywhere if we don’t take care of this,” Mulé said.

One way to tackle the issue is through something called the Complete Streets Project. A portion of Grand Avenue received a complete redo of the road with new paving, paver stones, decorative lighting, and curb bump outs. This project, according to Mulé, will be completed within the next couple of weeks.

“I am very proud that I got this project through the legislature because there was a small, but vocal, minority who was against it,” she said. “But I persevered, and now the project is nearly completed.”

Another renovation project that has Mulé’s attention is the Kellogg House in Baldwin. It was once the home of Civil War veteran George Sumner Kellogg that became an antique shop not long after he died in 1918. It has been out of operation for the past couple of decades, however, and has become an eyesore to many.

“The Kellogg House, which is the only designated historic house in Baldwin, has been looking terrible for a long time,” Mulé said. “This became my new priority.”

The roof, windows and exterior already have been replaced or restored, and now Mulé wants to focus on the interior. Once that’s done, Mulé plans to work with the county to find possible community uses for the Kellogg House.

And then there’s the Oakwood Beach Club, something else that many have described as an eyesore in Baldwin Harbor. The beach club has been out of business for more than a decade, and crime has grown on the Milburn Avenue property. If re-elected, Mulé says she’ll focus on making it right.

“There are environmental concerns on this property because it is on very sensitive land,” Mulé said. “It’s 3 acres of waterfront property, so it really could be quite stunning — and something special.”