49.0°,
Partly Cloudy Renovations to begin at Lakewood Stables
Construction set for this month at West Hempstead equestrian facility
Lakewood Stables has announced that it is set to begin a renovation project this month.
Though Lakewood’s proposal to demolish and rebuild its facility in West Hempstead was approved by the Town of Hempstead’s Board of Zoning Appeals in March 2010, a recent letter from the stables to its customers read that “incredibly brutal winter weather” delayed construction, but the new facility would be up and running by late spring.
The goal of the project, stables owner Alex Jacobson said in a statement, is “to provide a first-class equestrian center for horses, horse owners, tourists, children and parents, so that they are able to enjoy the sport of the horse and retain it as a community jewel to be proud of with an over-85-year history here in West Hempstead.”
The plan includes the construction of a new, state-of-the-art indoor/outdoor equestrian center that will allow year-round use, regardless of the weather. The facility will incorporate new features such as an indoor riding area, office and retail space and enhanced boarding for horses.
Supporters have said that the renovations will enhance business at the stables and attract more riders from surrounding towns and villages. Lakewood is the only facility of its kind in the area.
“Lakewood Stables has gained recognition as the only place in the Town of Hempstead where community members … and tourists can enjoy horses in a recreational, therapeutic, or competitive fashion, all in a safe and fun environment,” Jacobson recently wrote the Herald.
Jacobson, who purchased the stables in February 2006, presented his plans to the town BZA in January 2010. The town approved the project on March 3, 2010. Work is expected to begin with the demolition of the pony barn, followed by the clubhouse and the main barn.
The BZA was scheduled to hold a hearing on Wednesday morning, after the Herald went to press, on an amendment to the project. The board planned to consider Jacobson’s request to replace the previously approved exterior fabric/membrane façade for the barn with an off-white steel façade.
