West Hempstead Community Complains About Dry, Unsightly Hall's Pond Due to Delays

Hall's Pond Park Issues

• 📌 The Hall's Pond Park in West Hempstead is currently dry and unsightly, causing complaints from local residents.
• 🗑️ The pond, once a picturesque feature, is now filled with litter and muck, with waterfowl scavenging among the debris.

Causes of the Problem

• 🚧 A plan to fix the pond involved draining it to remove silt, but equipment broke upon hitting debris, creating a smelly mess.
• ⚠️ The smell is attributed to disintegrated trash within the pond.

Permit Delays and Wildlife Concerns

• 📜 A permit is required from the DEC for permanent remediation due to complaints about fish and turtles in the pond.
• 🐢 The county applied for the permit, though they disagree with its necessity, while slowly adding water back to support the non-native wildlife.
• 🗣️ Residents believe the fish and turtles are dumped household pets, not native species.

Resident Appeals

• 📣 Residents are requesting more frequent cleanups from the county.
• 🤝 They are also appealing to neighbors to avoid polluting and feeding the animals, as bread is not good for wildlife.