Following the recommendation of its Finance Committee, the Nassau County Legislature has unanimously approved a measure that would appropriate $220,000 to stabilize the Roslyn Grist Mill.

The monies themselves were contributed by three main sources: The Village of Roslyn, the Town of North Hempstead, and Nassau County. The measure allows such monies to be released for Grist Mill renovation. Legislator Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) expressed satisfaction that the measure passed without opposition. "I'm very excited," he said. "This represents an incredible opportunity to move the project forward to the municipal level."

According to Nassau County Department of Public Works officials, the next step will consist of county officials reviewing the design of the upgrade project. When that is approved, the actual renovation work can proceed.

Legislator Johnson said he could not give a timetable for when such work would actually begin. Still, he added that he was happy that the "project of preserving one of the Roslyn's identifiable landmarks can go forward."

Of the $220,000, the county contributed $100,000, while the Town of North Hempstead donated $75,000, and the Village of Roslyn chipped in with $45,000.

The approval represents a step forward in Grist Mill renovation. While there has been, in the past decade, an increased focus on Grist Mill restoration, lack of funding has hampered its progress. In the late 1990s, for instance, the county's sudden financial crisis canceled the availability of county bond funds that were set to be used for Grist Mill restoration.

Still, some monies were secured by a state grant and by private donations. The mill has undergone work that has resulted in some stabilization to the 300-plus-year-old structure. That has included the removal of the concrete siding from the north and east facades, the temporary shoring located along the east wall and the temporary relocation of the sluiceway, all of which has helped to ensure the Grist Mill to survival in recent years.

In addition, work on the interior allowed for the north and east facades to be re-clad with temporary plywood sheets. The entire structure has been treated for insect infestation and a smoke detection and intrusion alarm system has been installed in the building. In addition, portions of the site immediately adjacent to the building have been sandbagged to prevent storm waters from entering the first level of the mill.

Finally, in 2004, the administration of Thomas R. Suozzi, along with the office of the county's Parks, Recreation, and Museum Department and the Gerry Charitable Trust Fund underwrote a report by John G. Waite Associates of Albany, one that called for a Four Phase restoration process. That would include the replication of original and exterior elements of the mill, including roof siding, floor planks, windows, doors, and stairs, plus site work that would involve the restoration of the sluiceway and exterior stairs, and the creation of a water wheel.