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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

ESPA Board Meeting - March 12, 2026: Park Upgrades, Wayfinding Signs, and Funding Approvals

Meeting Portal — Thursday, March 12, 2026

BodyHuntington, New York

SessionMeeting Portal

DateThursday, March 12, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:27:43

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:07

Hi everyone.

0:09

Welcome to ESPA.

0:10

Okay, tonight's our first night being recorded audio and video and that'll be saved for public access.

0:18

We have a number of presentations tonight.

0:21

First up is Todd Jameson, director of parks.

0:25

Hello, Tom.

0:27

Good evening, everyone.

0:29

My name is Cable James, I'm the director of Park Recreation.

0:31

I think most of you guys know me.

0:33

I'm here to support a nomination that we put in for improvements to the stage that the chamber stage at Hector Park.

0:42

I'm sure a lot of you guys know a lot of the history of Petra Park Mall to say probably maybe built approximately in 1979 to have to house and to host performances put out for the community.

0:57

And it's specifically went to the arts council when that was built.

1:14

The events that go on at Hexford Park and Chaper Stage have evolved through the years to where we have approximately 100,000 attendees.

1:27

A year based on all the events that go on Summer Arts Festival, the Fall Festival, Long Fall Festival, several events that go on there.

1:37

I mean we have a lot of events I'll just name it a few.

1:39

Juneteenth, breast cancer event, cry events, opioid recovery wall, and as I said, the lawn that's under one.

1:52

There's many others that go on for people are permit for the use of the stage.

1:57

Well, the stage guys is in trouble.

2:04

It's starting to wear, and it's starting to wear to a point where it's not safe.

2:08

Okay.

2:09

Um we have put a record in this nomination.

2:11

We put it in request new lighting and um new sound system.

2:16

The support structures for those is starting to deteriorate.

2:21

Okay, so how do we know?

2:23

All right, when we put out this RRP, we had a and I just learned this.

2:28

I know I didn't know it was just a thing as theatrical engineers.

2:33

So the theatrical engineers came in and they took a look at our support system, and I guess that's called uh mounting.

2:39

And they basically said we gotta use the doctor so somebody's gonna get hurt.

2:46

Okay, uh for the last two years or three years, we've been renting lights because the lights have been failing and the power's blowing, so we've that's at a cost of $36,000 a summer.

3:00

All right, so that is really exhausting a lot of our money, and we're getting out of the going through the cultural affairs accounts to pay for it.

3:08

So but uh it's in it's in dire need of a reconstruction.

3:14

Okay, we're gonna start it, and we want to start out with the light and sound system as a starting point, so we can have all these events that we're gonna have this year and the record.

3:23

Um I have a cost estimate um of about 700, almost 800,000, maybe about 800,000, 799,000, of which we have 36,000 dollars remaining, and we need an additional 495,000 to support this thing, support this improvement questions.

3:51

So the the 300,000 that you have now that came from Suffolk County, is that correct?

3:56

Yes, part of it comes from Suffolk County grant, 170,000.

3:59

Spa's also uh award us 170,000, of which we use 33,000 to buy the amplifiers that go on the sound system.

4:09

And uh we are kind of at a standstill now.

4:13

I think we're gonna do that.

4:14

So the Suffolk County grant has an expiration.

4:16

Yes, it does.

4:16

Again, June 1st.

4:18

We have that money accounted for and uh spent by June first executed for we lose it.

4:26

Yeah, yes, sir.

4:27

Do you have a breakdown of the line items?

4:30

Um so it doesn't seem like you need the 800,000, sounds like you need 495,000.

4:34

So right?

4:35

We need we have I have all this information for you here.

4:38

Um then I was my other question is give a breakdown of what that 49500,000.

4:49

Do you have an idea of where that's gonna go, whether it's structural or lighting?

4:52

Because I'm thinking is yes, we have all that right here and technology lighting come out of a different thing.

4:57

Yeah, yeah.

5:00

So yeah, uh mostly I think 90% of it is is uh LED light.

5:02

Okay, okay.

5:04

That's 268,164 hours for audio.

5:08

Lighting 531,000 75 property.

5:12

I have the numbers right here for the uh and the and the Suffolk County money is first of all, it's not yes, sir.

5:19

We want you can use it for any of the purposes that are that you described.

5:25

Okay, it's the jewel of our parks listing.

5:29

I was doing this downtown, it's our central park.

5:33

It is the most heavily used.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parks and Recreation█████████████████████████████████████████████48%

Downtown Revitalization█████████████14%

Procedural██████████11%

Engineering And Infrastructure████████9%

Public Engagement█████5%

Zoning And Land Use████4%

Historic Preservation███3%

Technology and Innovation██2%

Transportation Safety██2%

Summary of Proceedings

ESPA Board Meeting - March 12, 2026

The Environmental, Safety, and Parks Advisory (ESPA) board met on March 12, 2026, to review and vote on several capital improvement proposals, including upgrades to the Hector Park stage, wayfinding signage for Huntington Village parking, and a multi-phase improvement plan for Cedar Road Park. The board also discussed pending projects, a memorial garden concept, and approved funding for waste containers and historic marker restoration. Legal reports on two potential acquisitions were also presented.

Consent Calendar

Meeting Minutes: The board unanimously approved the minutes from the November 2025 and February 2026 meetings.

Public Comments & Testimony

No public comments were made.

Discussion Items

Hector Park Stage Improvements

Todd Jameson, Director of Parks, presented a request for $495,000 in additional funding to complete a $799,000 renovation of the Chamber Stage at Hector Park. The stage's lighting and sound support structures are deteriorating and unsafe; theatrical engineers recommended immediate action.
The project has $36,000 remaining from a prior allocation, including a $170,000 Suffolk County grant that expires June 1, 2026. The board has been renting lights at a cost of $36,000 per summer due to failures.
The board discussed funding sources and moved to allocate $495,000 from park improvements. The motion passed unanimously.

Wayfinding Signage for Huntington Village Parking

Jonathan Spector, from the Supervisor's office, proposed 31 decorative directional signs and posts for town parking lots in Huntington Village, at a total cost of $89,280. He requested $44,640 from the neighborhood enhancement fund to match a Suffolk County downtown revitalization grant (application due May 15, 2026).
The signs would be color-coded and replace existing blue signs; the Business Improvement District (BID) will assist with naming and placement.
Board members debated whether signage qualifies as neighborhood enhancement but ultimately approved the motion, citing beautification and traffic safety benefits. The motion carried with no oppositions.

Cedar Road Park Multi-Phase Improvements

Michael Topy, President of Homac Little League, presented four improvement requests for Cedar Road Park, which has seen no major capital investment in 35 years:
1. Turf infield for baseball/softball field CR6 – estimated $165,000–$300,000 (costs debated). The league may contribute up to $100,000.
2. Playground replacement – current playground is 30+ years old, lacks ADA accessibility, and has safety issues.
3. Field house repairs – roof and bathroom doors need replacement; general services can handle.
4. Pickleball courts – proposed on an abandoned roller hockey court, but noise concerns were raised due to proximity to a special needs school.
No vote was taken. The board requested a site visit and a more detailed design and budget before considering a full application.

Memorial Garden Concept

A member presented a concept for a remembrance garden on Sabbath Day Path properties, incorporating memorial benches, trees, and rocks. Several board members expressed concerns that it would resemble a graveyard, create equity issues for who gets memorialized, and become permanent clutter in parks. The idea was not advanced; it will be revisited if the Sabbath Day Path project proceeds.

Green Lawn Waste Containers

A nomination from the Green Lawn Civic Association requested additional waste containers along the Green Lawn business improvement district. The board approved up to $6,000 from neighborhood enhancement funds, contingent on Environmental Waste Management approval for placement and servicing.
Motion passed unanimously.

Huntington Historical Marker Restoration

A request from Robert Hughes to fund restoration of 20 historic markers (blue and yellow metal signs) at $536 each, total $10,720. The board approved the allocation from neighborhood enhancement funds. Motion passed unanimously.

Pending Projects Review

The board reviewed a list of projects funded but not executed, some dating back to 2012, totaling approximately $2 million. The board will send the list to members to evaluate which projects are no longer viable and may recommend rescinding funds via town board resolution. A tickler system for older projects was suggested.

Legal Reports

9 Crosby Place: The broker demanded $10 million, 10% down, no appraisal contingency, and a rapid timeline—conditions incompatible with the town's process. The acquisition is dead.
427 Park Avenue: A small house at a busy intersection, asking ~$600,000, potentially for open space or a whale boat display. Board members expressed skepticism due to cost, small size, and possible demolition/abatement costs. No champion emerged to pursue it.

Planning Report

The turf field at Comac Park is 85% complete. ADA walkway at Columbia Street Park is next in queue. Many projects remain stuck due to limited engineering staff, and the board was advised to consider realistic timelines when recommending funding.

Key Outcomes

Approved: $495,000 from park improvements for Hector Park stage (unanimous).
Approved: $44,640 from neighborhood enhancement for wayfinding signage (unanimous).
Approved: Up to $6,000 for Green Lawn waste containers (unanimous).
Approved: $10,720 for historic marker restoration (unanimous).
Deferred: Cedar Road Park improvements pending site visit and detailed plans.
No action: Memorial garden concept and 427 Park Avenue acquisition.
Next steps: Review pending projects list; revisit Huntington Station Business Improvement District and Halesite streetscaping proposals at the April meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Hi everyone. Welcome to ESPA. Okay, tonight's our first night being recorded audio and video and that'll be saved for public access. We have a number of presentations tonight. First up is Todd Jameson, director of parks. Hello, Tom. Good evening, everyone. My name is Cable James, I'm the director of Park Recreation. I think most of you guys know me. I'm here to support a nomination that we put in for improvements to the stage that the chamber stage at Hector Park. I'm sure a lot of you guys know a lot of the history of Petra Park Mall to say probably maybe built approximately in 1979 to have to house and to host performances put out for the community. And it's specifically went to the arts council when that was built. The events that go on at Hexford Park and Chaper Stage have evolved through the years to where we have approximately 100,000 attendees. A year based on all the events that go on Summer Arts Festival, the Fall Festival, Long Fall Festival, several events that go on there. I mean we have a lot of events I'll just name it a few. Juneteenth, breast cancer event, cry events, opioid recovery wall, and as I said, the lawn that's under one. There's many others that go on for people are permit for the use of the stage. Well, the stage guys is in trouble. It's starting to wear, and it's starting to wear to a point where it's not safe. Okay. Um we have put a record in this nomination. We put it in request new lighting and um new sound system. The support structures for those is starting to deteriorate. Okay, so how do we know? All right, when we put out this RRP, we had a and I just learned this. I know I didn't know it was just a thing as theatrical engineers. So the theatrical engineers came in and they took a look at our support system, and I guess that's called uh mounting. And they basically said we gotta use the doctor so somebody's gonna get hurt. Okay, uh for the last two years or three years, we've been renting lights because the lights have been failing and the power's blowing, so we've that's at a cost of $36,000 a summer. All right, so that is really exhausting a lot of our money, and we're getting out of the going through the cultural affairs accounts to pay for it. So but uh it's in it's in dire need of a reconstruction. Okay, we're gonna start it, and we want to start out with the light and sound system as a starting point, so we can have all these events that we're gonna have this year and the record. Um I have a cost estimate um of about 700, almost 800,000, maybe about 800,000, 799,000, of which we have 36,000 dollars remaining, and we need an additional 495,000 to support this thing, support this improvement questions. So the the 300,000 that you have now that came from Suffolk County, is that correct? Yes, part of it comes from Suffolk County grant, 170,000. Spa's also uh award us 170,000, of which we use 33,000 to buy the amplifiers that go on the sound system. And uh we are kind of at a standstill now. I think we're gonna do that. So the Suffolk County grant has an expiration. Yes, it does. Again, June 1st. We have that money accounted for and uh spent by June first executed for we lose it. Yeah, yes, sir. Do you have a breakdown of the line items? Um so it doesn't seem like you need the 800,000, sounds like you need 495,000. So right? We need we have I have all this information for you here. Um then I was my other question is give a breakdown of what that 49500,000. Do you have an idea of where that's gonna go, whether it's structural or lighting? Because I'm thinking is yes, we have all that right here and technology lighting come out of a different thing.

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