"The root structure keeps the sediment in place, instead of just letting the water wash it away," Baxter Estates clerk-treasurer Meghan Kelly told Newsday this summer. She was talking about the native plants going in along Baxter Beach.
Those plants make up a small part of a much bigger job. Within roughly a mile of Shore Road, three different governments are working on the water's edge. The Village of Baxter Estates is rebuilding its beach. Nassau County is shoring up the seawall near Mill Pond and getting ready to dredge Baxter's Pond. The Town of North Hempstead has hired a contractor to rebuild Town Dock. Each project has its own budget, permits and calendar. They share a road, and Newsday reports that more than 8,000 cars use it every day.
Most of us know this stretch from behind the wheel. These projects are meant to give it a second life as a shoreline you can walk.
The beach work runs on the tide, so the traffic does too
The Baxter Beach Shoreline Restoration broke ground on July 23, 2026. Baxter Estates Mayor Nora Haagenson was there with North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, New York Secretary of State Walter Mosley, Nassau Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and former Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti. The state had awarded the village $7.7 million two years before. Kelly told Newsday that getting permits from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of State took more than a year. LoDuca Associates, a contractor based in Blue Point, bid nearly $3 million for the work.
The village's construction notice explains why Shore Road delays have felt so random since June. Crews can only work at low tide. Low tide moves every day, so the work schedule moves with it. The village was upfront that the timing "will not always align favorably with morning and evening commuting hours." The notice also closed the west-side sidewalk between Harbor Road and Central Drive while work is underway. It asks people on foot to cross at Harbor Road and Main Street.
By early August, Kelly said the new sand was in place and the timber for the walkway had arrived. The village was aiming to finish by December. That December target dates from Newsday's August 5 update. The village's own project page is the place to check for anything newer.
What the finished beach is supposed to be
The plans go well beyond fixing erosion, and they show why this mile matters to more than drivers. The project page describes a porous asphalt walk, a rock sill and tidal plantings at the water's edge. Above those come elevated overlook walkways, landscaping along the upper shoreline, benches and energy-efficient lighting.
The village says the project "will connect Baxter Estates to the Baywalk," with a raised walkway along Baxter Beach that makes the route safer for pedestrians. Today the beach is mostly something you pass on the way into town. When it's finished, it becomes a link in a walking route along the harbor. Supervisor DeSena told Newsday the work "complements" the town's Bayview Avenue stabilization and the planned Town Dock rebuild.
Across the road, a pond that's only inches deep
Baxter's Pond sits across Shore Road from the beach, inside Nassau County's Barbara Johnson Memorial Park and Preserve. The two are tied together physically as well as by location. On September 28, 2026, Nassau County announced that its Department of Public Works is applying for permits to dredge the pond. The same notice said seawall repairs across the street were still going on.
In that announcement, Kim Keiserman, co-president of the Baxter's Pond Foundation, said the main pond "has not been cleaned out for decades." She said it's down to just a few inches deep in many places. Keiserman expects dredging to improve the pond's capacity for storm runoff, along with its water quality, its ecosystem and its appearance. That makes the pond part of the same plan as the beach. Stabilizing the shoreline on one side of Shore Road and restoring the pond's runoff capacity on the other is how the county and the village are trying to protect the road between them.
Dredging hasn't started. It's at the permit stage. The county release also says Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton secured capital money this spring for new sidewalks in the park, and earlier got funding for paver walkways and new lighting. The release describes that money as secured. It doesn't say the work is installed.
The Foundation is the easiest way for residents to get involved. According to its Patch event listing, it ran a fall cleanup on Sunday, October 4, starting at the pond's flagpole, with bags, gloves and refreshments provided and families welcome. The Foundation's Happenings page describes its cleanups as quarterly.
North toward Mill Pond, the county's seawall
The lane closure near Mill Pond belongs to a different agency. The Port Washington North August 2026 newsletter says Nassau County DPW is doing seawall stabilization work. It began north of Robert Dayton Park and is being coordinated with the Baxter Estates shoreline project. As of that newsletter, the southbound right lane approaching Mill Pond was closed and drivers were told to expect delays. No completion date was given.
Put this together with the beach and you can see why Shore Road has felt narrower all season. The village is working one stretch on a tide schedule, and the county is working another stretch close by. The two projects were planned to fit together, and they both affect the same southbound drive.
Town Dock, the biggest budget on the shoreline
The largest of the four projects sits at the southern end of town. Newsday reported on July 21, 2026, that North Hempstead hired H&L Contracting LLC of Hauppauge for about $11.9 million to rebuild Town Dock. That contract is part of a $19.6 million makeover funded by $17.6 million from FEMA and $2 million from the state. Superstorm Sandy badly damaged the dock in 2012, and erosion has weakened it since. The contractor will build over the existing dock.
Here's what the town's plan includes:
- A more durable bulkhead
- Sloped shoreline structures that absorb the impact of waves
- Vegetation around the parking lot to capture rainwater
The last item connects to the pond. Port Washington Water District Commissioner Mindy Germain told Newsday that "every opportunity to reduce polluted runoff" matters for protecting the quality of Manhasset Bay. At Baxter's Pond and at Town Dock alike, the plan treats water coming off the land as seriously as water coming in from the bay.
DeSena called the dock "the heart of Port Washington" and "access to the water for the whole town." The town's Town Dock park page lists fishing, a boat ramp, mooring and sailing. The town's mooring information notes that seasonal mooring for boats 26 feet and under includes water-taxi service. In July, the town said it hoped construction would begin by September. Check the town's notices for the actual start date and any changes to access during construction.
Where each piece stood at last report
| Project | Who runs it | Money | Latest public status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baxter Beach Shoreline Restoration | Village of Baxter Estates | $7.7 million state grant; LoDuca Associates bid nearly $3 million | Sand done and walkway timber on site as of August 5; December finish targeted |
| Shore Road seawall near Mill Pond | Nassau County DPW | Not stated | Southbound right lane approaching Mill Pond closed as of August; no end date given |
| Baxter's Pond dredging | Nassau County DPW | Not stated | Permit applications underway as of September 28 |
| Town Dock rebuild | Town of North Hempstead | $19.6 million total; H&L Contracting about $11.9 million | Contractor hired July 21; start hoped for by September |
Three offices are running four projects on separate schedules, and the finished work is designed to meet along the water. With the raised walkway at Baxter Beach, the Baywalk connection, a dredged pond across the road, and a rebuilt dock to the south, people will have a reason to walk this mile and not just drive through it. Until then, the Baxter Estates project page is the place to watch for construction notices, keeping in mind that beach work follows the low tide and shifts from day to day.
I grew up a few minutes from this shoreline, and I've been watching each project closely. If you'd like to talk about what a rebuilt Shore Road and Town Dock could mean for your corner of the peninsula, Maggie Keats is happy to walk it with you. Let's Connect.
