Town of North Hempstead Blueway Trail Plan

Project Location: North Hempstead, NY
Client: Town of North Hempstead

The North Hempstead Blueway Trail Plan was the first of its kind of Long Island; a plan to create a continuous paddling trail along the municipality’s extensive shoreline. The Blueway Trail Plan provides an opportunity to plan for recreation, environmental stewardship, education, tourism, cultural resources, wildlife viewing and connections to other trails as they are implemented in neighboring municipalities.  NPV headed up a team of experts that worked with the Town of North Hempstead on the project, which was funded in part by the New York State Department of State Division of Coastal Resources with EPF LWRP Title 11 funding.

The project involved planning, design, engineering and feasibility analysis services to develop a Blueway Trail for Manhasset Bay, Hempstead Harbor and Little Neck Bay. Our team conducted initial public outreach through an online survey and participation in two community festival events, performed field and waterway reconnaissance, prepared an inventory of resources and amenities, identified potential new launching areas and existing small boat access points in need of improvement and prepared conceptual designs for consideration by the Town and citizen committee. The Blueway Trail Plan includes recommended connections to existing features along the waterfront (parks, natural viewing areas, trails) and future connections, such as planned trail extensions and other Blueway trails.  The conceptual designs included shoreline improvements, green infrastructure strategies for stormwater management, and connections to other recreational resources and open space.  In addition, the trail plan incorporates suggested stopping points where paddlers can access existing waterfront resources such as restaurants and downtown amenities, local cultural and scenic attractions, access comfort stations, outfitters and overnight accommodations and services.