This week in Oyster Bay newsletter: Can Oyster Bay revive its waterfront?
Long Island Sound, east of Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. Oyster Bay officials are eyeing a new waterfront frontier. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Happy Friday, folks. It's Joe Ostapiuk back with another edition of This Week in Oyster Bay.
The summer months can be a quiet time for towns and cities on Long Island, but Oyster Bay is quietly maneuvering itself for a long-awaited redevelopment of its northern waterfront.
When flipping through the pages of the town's August agenda, I noticed a reference to 2 Bayview Ave. — a property I knew was adjacent to where the Commander Oil tanks stood for years. They were knocked down earlier this year.
I did some digging and found the town is moving to acquire the site from Frank M. Flower & Sons. When I reached out to the town, Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said the piece of land could serve as a linchpin to a "transformation of the waterfront."
So, what's next? More on that in a moment.
Elsewhere in town
Skaters are calling on the town to commit to either reopen the Bethpage Community Park skatepark or to build a new one. The skatepark was closed in January 2024 during the ongoing remediation at the park.
The housing lottery for a Hicksville development is now open. The Lisle is accepting applications through Sept. 28 for units with discounted rents.
Check out this profile on Massapequa's Brian Baldinger, an NFL TV analyst who carved out a social media niche for himself.
Now, back to the waterfront
For decades, locals have wondered about the future of Oyster Bay's coastline.
Charles Wang, the late former majority owner of the Islanders and a co-founder of Computer Associates, bought dozens of properties in the area. Nothing ever came of it. Wang died in 2018.
Local civic leaders told me they're hopeful this time will be different but stressed the need for public waterfront access.
“As long as the Town of Oyster Bay, which is a public entity, helps to preserve waterfront access, which is in the public interest, we think it’s a phenomenal thing,” Dawn Riley, executive director of Oakcliff Sailing, told me in an interview.
What do you think about the possible changes in Oyster Bay? Let me know at oysterbay@newsday.com.
Find some fun and interesting things to do around town in the coming week, and more at newsday.com/lifestyle.
There are more things to do in this Newsday calendar of events.
Keeping the summer vibes alive after Labor Day From Long Beach to the North Fork, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday Deputy Lifestyle Editor Meghan Giannotta have ideas on how to hold onto the summer vibes after Labor Day.
Keeping the summer vibes alive after Labor Day From Long Beach to the North Fork, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday Deputy Lifestyle Editor Meghan Giannotta have ideas on how to hold onto the summer vibes after Labor Day.
