Town calls on county to repave Foxhurst Road

After receiving complaints from Oceanside residents about conditions on Foxhurst Road, Town of Hempstead officials urged the Nassau County Department of Public Works last week to repave the pothole-filled street.

In a letter addressed to Shila Shah-Gavnoudias, the department’s commissioner, Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino and Councilman Anthony D’Esposito said residents have expressed concerns about potholes and “disappearing pavement” on the street, which is under Nassau’s jurisdiction. They added that one neighbor had previously requested assistance from the county, but that nothing was done.

“We respectfully request your Department take the requisite action needed to address these poor roadway conditions located on this busy County-maintained thoroughfare on behalf of our neighbors, Oceanside residents and those travelling on the County’s roadway,” they wrote.

D’Esposito said he had received sporadic complaints about the street — which connects Long Beach Road and Merrick Road — over the last four months, which began to increase after the last storm. He added that though he had not yet received a response from the county, he is confident that Nassau legislators will continue advocating for the road to be repaved.

Lisa Teri, who has lived in Oceanside for 26 years, said Foxhurst has had potholes for a few years, and that it is time for a change.

“The road is just so trashy-looking,” said Teri, who lives off of Oceanside Road and drives on Foxhurst each weekday during her morning commute. “Sometimes there’s those pot holes, but then they start out as bigger circles that are cut out in the road.”

Teri, a neighborhood runner, said the road conditions are also a hazard to pedestrians. “All the tar pebbles and rocks and stuff that spit up in your face, it’s bad,” she said. “It’s embarrassing, you know, when you have someone visiting in the neighborhood and they take that way. It’s just a bad situation.”

D’Esposito said he has also heard concerns about commercial trucks over a certain weight limit using Foxhurst Road illegally, which can damage the surface and overall infrastructure of the street. He added that last year he met with Nassau police, who have increased enforcement on the road, and that he would follow up again to see if signage is necessary.

But Foxhurst isn’t the only road that needs work, according to Mark Mirsky, a 24-year resident who runs the Oceanside, LI, Community News Facebook page. About a year ago, he contacted Nassau County Legislator Denise Ford and other local officials about repaving Oceanside Road, which was completed last spring.

Mirsky said that after Foxhurst is handled, he hopes to also address Waukena Avenue, which, he says, “you get a headache” driving on, but is happy that Town of Hempstead officials are speaking on behalf of the residents.

“I think Anthony and Tony have been really, really working hard and listening to the issues that people are bringing to them,” Mirsky said.

The county’s Department of Public Works did not immediately respond to the Herald’s request for comment.