Habitat Protection and Improvement

Western Waterfront - Enhancing Public Access

Operating in Oyster Bay since 1938, Jakobson Shipyard manufactured tugs, ferries, yachts and other watercraft until it closed in 1993. Redevelopment plans for the 5.2 acre contaminated site included 78 condominiums and a 225 slip marina. On the neighboring Capone parcel a 3-story office building with a restaurant on top was also proposed at this time.  After significant support for public acquisition of the remediated shipyard site led by the newly formed Friends of the Bay, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Town of Oyster Bay purchased the Jakobson Shipyard and Capone site known together along with the existing Beekman Beach as the “Western Waterfront.” 

The site has been redeveloped into a park following the “Land Use Plan for the Oyster Bay Western Waterfront,” an awarding design developed with significant public involvement. Today the site is an active public park that includes a public fishing pier, a boat ramp, Sagamore Rowing Club and the WaterFront Center – a community sailing and marine education center.


Mill Pond Overlook – Acquiring Sensitive Property

When a developer proposed to change the zoning on a three acre property that bordered the Mill Pond, part of the Oyster Bay National Wildlife Refuge, residents saw an opportunity to protect the sensitive area. Instead of  turning the former private residence of the Lizza family into a 68-unit senior housing complex, community members and many local organizations such as the Mill River Rod & Gun Club, North Oyster Bay Baymen’s Association, Oyster Bay Historical Society, The Nature Conservancy, the WaterFront Center, Frank M. Flower and Sons, the Oyster Bay and East Norwich Civic associations, among others, nominated the property for public acquisition through the Town of Oyster Bay’s SEA Fund. The Town Board unanimously passed a resolution on April 25, 2006 to authorize Supervisor John Venditto to acquire the property for $4.5 million.

Eastover Marsh – Self Regulating Tide Gate

To restore 20 acres of marsh on Centre Island that had become stagnate and dominated by Phragmites and other less desirable species, a self-regulating tide was installed. This first of its kind project in New York State restored the marsh by allowing tidal flow through two culverts under a roadway that previously cut off the marsh without flooding neighboring properties.