Lawmakers, volunteers say Brookside Preserve is unsafe and neglected
At a press conference Monday, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé stood alongside the South Shore Conservation Society, pointing to trash, graffiti, collapsing walkways and what she called “neglect you can see, you can smell, you can trip over.”
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Local lawmakers and community volunteers say the Brookside Preserve in Freeport has fallen into dangerous disrepair - and that Nassau County has ignored repeated offers to restore the site at no cost to taxpayers.
At a press conference Monday, Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé stood alongside the South Shore Conservation Society, pointing to trash, graffiti, collapsing walkways and what she called “neglect you can see, you can smell, you can trip over.” She added that the preserve, once a place for families and nature lovers, “has been left to decay.”
“Trash is piling up. Walkways have collapsed. Conditions are now dangerously unsafe,” she said. “The solution is standing right here. All it takes is leadership and a willingness to say yes.”
According to the South Shore Conservation Society, the group has spent nearly three years trying to partner with Nassau County to maintain and restore the preserve at no cost to taxpayers. Members say they formed a nonprofit, submitted proposals, and followed every step the county requested, but have not received a response in months.
“Our vision is simple,” said Erica DeVargas, President of the South Shore Conservation Society, “We want to help maintain and beautify Brookside Preserve so that it becomes a safe and inviting environment for our community.”
According to DeVargas, the group has already been hosting monthly cleanups each year, beginning around Earth Day, but the nonprofit organization cannot safely address hazards like broken footpaths and discarded needles without formal approval.
For the society's vice president Jose Cuevas, the issue became personal when he tried to walk the preserve with his children.
“I couldn’t continue further with my kids because I saw how dangerous it was,” Cuevas said. “The amount of garbage and the overall conditions - they didn’t feel safe.”
He also pointed to environmental impacts, saying storm runoff carries trash from the preserve into local waterways and eventually the ocean.
“It is at times disgusting,” he said. “That’s not acceptable.”
The group is urging Nassau County to partner with them to restore the space for families, students, and nature lovers.
News 12 reached out to Nassau County for comment and is waiting to hear back.
