Hempstead Town should give Baldwin redevelopment a push forward

This week could mark a new start for Baldwin.

On Tuesday, the Hempstead Town board has an opportunity to approve a new code to govern the redevelopment of downtown Baldwin. It includes standards for a so-called overlay zone to guide the height and density of future development, and a road map for evaluating and approving projects.

If used correctly, such a code could reinvigorate the hamlet with new housing, office space, retail and more. With the right mindset, Hempstead Town officials could balance desirable, interesting and viable projects with careful review or further environmental analysis when necessary.
If Hempstead does this right, a new Baldwin could emerge.

The question is whether Hempstead Town officials, starting with Supervisor Don Clavin, will use the new code, developed by attorney Steven Losquadro, to say yes to good development, including apartments, other affordable housing, and other uses for which Baldwin residents rightly have been clamoring.

The code would give the town board a far greater role in the process. That's potentially worrisome. In the past, Hempstead has been known for stalling or stopping key projects, especially those that include a mix of housing types.

On the flip side, town officials shouldn't use the new code to skip past key environmental reviews on projects that don't fit within the overlay zone's standards. Once the code is approved, it'll be crucial for the town to act quickly on plans already in the pipeline, to show it's serious about redeveloping Baldwin.

Baldwin residents, housing advocates and others should watch carefully, participate in the process, and flag any concerns or unnecessary delays. The town should provide notifications and updates to civic leaders and anyone else interested in a project. For a truly open process, an online dashboard of Baldwin projects with progress and status reports, deadlines, and timeline updates would be helpful. That way, everyone can keep track, celebrate successes and address problems.

State officials must play a role, too. After all, the spotlight on Baldwin comes in part because it was the recipient of a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative state grant. More recently, Gov. Kathy Hochul awarded an additional $3.1 million to the developers of a Baldwin project to build 33 apartments near the hamlet's Long Island Rail Road station. All of that gives the state a significant stake in making sure Hempstead steers Baldwin's redevelopment in the right direction. 

Clavin has said he supports the revitalization of Baldwin. Now he has a chance to prove it. Welcome new development, use the new code to open doors rather than close them, and give residents what they want: a new, thriving Baldwin.