(GLEN COVE, N.Y.) – Nassau County Legislature Minority Leader Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D – Glen Cove) is thrilled to announce that the Nassau County Department of Health has approved the reopening of Glen Cove’s Crescent Beach for swimmers during the 2026 bathing season.
The decision, memorialized in an April 2 letter from the Nassau County Department of Health, cites the reduction of bacteria levels found in samples analyzed in 2024 and 2025, as well as the measures taken to address the source of the bacteria.
Since becoming a Legislator, Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton has secured nearly $1 million in County-level bond authorization to fund past and future improvements essential for addressing bacteria contamination from a nearby estuary.
As part of a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)-approved remediation plan, the City of Glen Cove utilized creative and cutting-edge approaches, such as installing Helix filter systems and a box culvert near the base of the stream, utilizing plantings that naturally absorb bacteria, and creating a new conduit, to reduce and manage bacteria levels.
Reopening Crescent Beach is the result of extensive collaboration between the City, Nassau County, and local stakeholders, including environmental advocates, such as Eric Swenson from the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, Bruce Kennedy in Sea Cliff, and many others. Colleagues in government, including Dr. Irina Gelman at the Department of Health, Glen Cove Recreation Director Spiro Tsirkas and Rocco Graziosi and his team at the Glen Cove DPW were instrumental in the success of this effort.
Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton is continuing to spearhead the pursuit of a $108,740 intermunicipal agreement between the County and the City for a Caterpillar Compact Track Loader that would be used to maintain the hard-earned progress.
“Crescent Beach has been part of my life for as long as I can remember—from going there as a kid to bringing my own children years later. Seeing it reopen really means a lot,” said City of Glen Cove Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck. “It’s a place for families, for memories, and I’m so excited for people to be able to experience that again.”
“Clean water and local bathing beaches are essential to our quality of life, and we should never take them for granted,” said Eric Swenson, Executive Director of the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee. “In this case, Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton, the City of Glen Cove, the Nassau County Department of Health, local property owners, and the nine municipalities than comprise the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee all played a role in the beach’s reopening. That is the way it should be!”
“We are all so thankful to everyone who stuck with this - from Legislator DeRiggi-Whitton to the Mayor’s office and everyone who shared our dream of reopening Crescent Beach,” said Spiro Tsirkas, the City of Glen Cove’s Director of Recreation. “Now that we know that the water is safe and ready for swimming, we are looking forward to getting the beach into the best possible shape and bringing back a little bit of Glen Cove history for everybody to enjoy.”
“Reopening Crescent Beach has been my personal goal for the last 17 years, and this project to protect our environmental and improve our quality of life has been a tremendous group effort that four Mayors, regardless of their political party, each supported,” Minority Leader DeRiggi-Whitton said. “Crescent Beach is one of the North Shore’s most spectacular beaches, and I am thrilled that the residents of Glen Cove will be able to fully enjoy it for generations to come.”