Legislator Lafazan Applauds Rules Committee Approval of Nearly $2.6 Million Bailey Arboretum Restoration Contract
(LATTINGTOWN, N.Y.) – Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (D – Woodbury) applauded the approval of a nearly $2.6 million contract for the restoration of the pond at Bailey Arboretum in Lattingtown.
The Legislature’s Rules committee signed off on the $2,576,225 contract with Galvin Bros., Inc./Madhue Contracting on Monday, July 17 to restore Bailey Arboretum’s pond to its original condition. Contracts are enacted upon approval by the Rules committee, and no further legislative action is required.
Sited on the former estate of Frank and Marie Louise Bailey, the 42-acre property was donated to Nassau County in 1968 after Marie Louise Bailey passed away and has been under the care of the Friends of Bailey Arboretum since 2006. In addition, Friends of the Bailey Arboretum notes that Frank Bailey himself was a self-taught horticulturalist who created one of America’s first private garden museums.
In recent years, however, the pond system has deteriorated due to an increase in aquatic invasive species, the failure of weirs and related overflow structures, shoreline erosion, and sedimentation. This project will address these issues by dredging the pond, repairing the weirs, planting native species, and stabilizing the shoreline.
“It is wonderful that Bailey Arboretum will soon be receiving the resources that are befitting of its rich history,” Legislator Lafazan said. “I thank my colleagues in the Rules committee for approving a contract that clears the way a project that will allow future generations to enjoy one of Nassau County’s great natural treasures.”