North Hempstead Looks Ahead To Replace 1989 Master Plan

NORTH HEMPSTEAD, NY. — The Town of North Hempstead announced it would be moving forward in its efforts to update its long-term master plan Wednesday, issuing a request for proposals to fill a consulting role that would help the town government through the planning process.

Town officials said this would be the first update to the North Hempstead’s comprehensive plan since 1989, adding that it would feature a "robust community engagement process” with input from businesses, civic groups and residents of the town. That input, officials said, would help create a “roadmap” that will guide the growth, development, preservation and investment in North Hempstead over the coming decade.

“Believe it or not, it’s been 37 years since the Town last updated its master plan,” Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said. “I first announced this as a priority in my 2022 inaugural address and repeated it in every State of the Town since. But for years, the effort remained stalled until I hired Commissioner Nancy Shahverdi.”

North Hempstead’s department of planning and environmental protection, under Shahverdi’s leadership, has already completed some preliminary research to help the plan develop, reviewing existing policies in North Hempstead and evaluating what topics will be the most important come planning time. That research, town officials said, will provide a solid foundation for whomever the town selects as its consultant.

“The plan will help establish a shared vision for North Hempstead’s future,” Councilman Dennis Walsh said. “Our economy, environmental challenges, and infrastructure needs have changed significantly, making this update more important now than ever.”

Town officials said the new plan would focus on things like commercial corridors, walkability, transit connectivity and climate resilience in the village, as well as parks and public space access, preservation of the character of the town and how North Hempstead can allow aging residents to live their twilight years there in peace.

While town officials said this plan would serve as a guide for North Hempstead’s development, they also said it wouldn’t establish any specific changes to zoning or development. Instead, they said this plan would be a guide to future decisions regarding land use, capital investments and policy decisions. The 1989 plan, they said, might not be sufficient to guide the town’s interests in those areas anymore.