Restoring Baldwin’s ‘diamond in the rough’

The Baldwin community has a jewel that has been shrouded in weeds and blight for more than a decade — and residents deserve a long-term solution for restoring the diamond in the rough that is the Oakwood Beach Club.

Charting a path to the restoration of this three-acre parcel has been a top priority of mine since I became a county legislator in 2018. I have spoken with numerous organizations, elected officials, and partners at multiple levels of government. In fact, when new elected officials representing Baldwin take office, one of my first meetings with them is a visit to the Oakwood Beach Club to highlight the issue.

The path to revitalization has proven to be complicated. After it closed, the former beach club sustained extensive damage in consecutive years from Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy. The in-ground pool is filled with cement, and the property, now behind a chain-link fence, has continued to deteriorate into a public nuisance and an eyesore — a far cry from its nearly five decades in operation. While our partners at the Town of Hempstead’s Sanitation District 2 have worked diligently to maintain the perimeter of the site, a comprehensive and long-term solution is needed.

Although the property’s owner has put the parcel up for sale and auction, no buyer has emerged — and in addition to the cement-filled pool, covenants and restrictions on the deed greatly restrict how the property can be used. Cognizant of these limitations, I have spoken with Baldwin residents and held community meetings to gather their feedback, and the consensus has been that the property should be rehabilitated so it can be used by the community at large as a public green space.

Yes, there are several intricacies that we must navigate if we are to achieve this outcome, but this isn’t the first complex, longstanding infrastructure issue I have addressed in partnership with my colleagues in government and local community leaders.

When I took office, civic leaders highlighted the chronic, perilous flooding that had plagued the South Hempstead community along Long Beach Road under the Southern State overpass for nearly 60 years. To me, that was simply unacceptable. Working with then County Executive Laura Curran, we launched a major road project in the summer of 2021 to correct those persistent drainage issues. Since its completion, I am grateful to report that the South Hempstead Fire Department — which for far too long had been plucking stranded motorists out of floodwaters beneath the underpass — is finally out of the water rescue business.

We have also made major strides in restoring the historic treasure that is Baldwin’s Kellogg House. The exterior of this circa-1900 house has been redone using funds I secured in the county’s capital infrastructure plan, and I’m currently pursuing $1 million in resources to complete the restoration. I am continuing to ensure that the public’s voice is heard and incorporated into the future use of this community hub, and I’m working to bring the county’s Office of Real Estate, Planning and Development to a future meeting of the Baldwin Civic Association so that stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of the parameters governing how the Kellogg House can be used moving forward.

While every situation presents its own unique challenges, the fundamentals of these past successes can be applied to achieving a solution for the Oakwood Beach Club. Working with our partners in government, community leaders and local residents, I look forward to the day when this property is a source of pride and a destination for families in Baldwin and communities across the South Shore.

Debra Mulé represents Nassau County’s 6th Legislative District.