On the walkway beside Knickerbocker Bay Club, a sign on a locked gate reads "NO TRESPASSING" and "PRIVATE PROPERTY" in bold red letters. Newsday described the scene in early June, and it set up the question behind the summer's longest town board hearing in Port Washington. What would happen to public access at Inspiration Wharf, the cobblestone strip of seaside storefronts at the bottom of Main Street, if it became condos?
The plan the Town of North Hempstead approved at its July 14 meeting puts that access in writing. The wharf's other uses and the construction timeline got no such guarantee, and both remain open this fall.
A plan almost two decades in the drawing
The wharf has been moving toward this point for a while. North Hempstead created its Waterfront Business District in 2009 to encourage redevelopment of Port Washington's private waterfront while keeping public access, and amended it in 2025. Long Island Press reported that the Town Board adopted the changes on February 11, 2025. The amendment dropped the rules about which floors residential and commercial space had to occupy, kept the requirement for commercial use, and allowed below-grade parking.
Ten months later, in December 2025, the Sbarro family bought Inspiration Wharf for $8.7 million. The family runs its plans through Manhasset Bay Real Estate LLC, led by Gennaro Sbarro and his son Gianni. They already owned three other Main Street properties: Louie's Prime Steak & Seafood, the former La Parma on the Bay and Campbell's Carpet. Gianni Sbarro told Newsday the family has lived in Port Washington for five generations.
Project architect Harry Nicolaitis, whose office was once on the wharf itself, told the board the plan "represents nearly two decades of planning for the site." He said the wide promenade around the peninsula "has been part of the design for almost 20 years."
What the Town approved in July
At its July 14 meeting, after a public hearing that Newsday reported ran past midnight, the board voted 7-0 to grant a special use permit and site plan approval for the roughly 2.8-acre site at 403–415 Main St. More than 25 residents spoke during nearly three hours of public comment.
Here is the approved plan as the applicant's team described it to the board, according to Long Island Press:
| Element | Approved plan |
|---|---|
| Housing | 38 condominium units across three buildings, eight of them designated for residents 55 and older |
| Restaurant | About 4,000 square feet, described as Mediterranean-style, on the water |
| Commercial space | About 3,800 square feet, with retail kept on the Main Street side |
| Parking | 136 spaces, below grade, 76 of them dedicated to residents |
| Marina | About 30 slips, 10 for condo owners and the rest for transient boaters |
| Public space | A promenade about 20 feet wide, benches, landscaping and a pavilion |
| Height | Within the town's 30-foot maximum |
According to the applicant's attorney, Kathleen Deegan Dickson, the zoning would have allowed up to 42 units, and the developer chose 38 to preserve commercial space. She called the residential portion "the economic engine that will actually allow the rest of the project to fall into place."
The plan also includes environmental work. It calls for replacing the deteriorated steel bulkhead, restoring wetlands, building a living shoreline and adding green infrastructure for stormwater. David Wortman of the consulting firm VHB said the site "has virtually no stormwater control and a great deal of runoff into the bay."
The 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. guarantee
Most of the summer's debate came back to access, and access is the part of the plan with the firmest legal footing. Dickson told the board that public access would be guaranteed by a recorded easement that stays with the property permanently. The easement provides "year-round public access, 365 days a year, from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.," and obligates the applicant and future owners to keep the public areas in good repair.
The design also keeps the very tip of the peninsula free of housing. "We've taken about 70 feet from the water's edge at the end of the property and put no residences there," Nicolaitis said. "Instead, there will be a pavilion where everyone can enjoy the sunset."
The promenade would also link up with walks the public already uses. Gianni Sbarro told Newsday the family plans a boardwalk connecting to the bay walk along Shore Road in neighboring Port Washington North, which leads to Louie's and Inspiration Wharf. The Village of Port Washington North calls that stretch Bay Walk Park. On the other side sits the Town's Town Dock Park on Main Street, with a waterfront promenade, a boat ramp, fishing, kayaking and moorings. The Town Dock is also home to Harbor Patrol headquarters and a pump-out station. Once built, the wharf promenade would fill the gap between two public waterfront spaces.
Supporters filed 153 letters, including some from village officials. Concern about access came through just as clearly, including from the Mitchell Farms Neighborhood Association, which Newsday reported covers the residential area next to the wharf and wants the waterfront to stay public.
What the lawsuit asks a court to undo
The association then took the question to court. Newsday reported that it filed a 111-page petition in State Supreme Court in Nassau County, and Long Island Press gave the filing date as August 13. The petition names the Town and Manhasset Bay Real Estate LLC. It focuses less on the easement than on how the project was reviewed. These are the petition's claims, and no court has ruled on them:
- Environmental review. By issuing a negative declaration, the Town skipped a more extensive review. The petition says the Town made that call before the site was accepted into the state's Brownfield Cleanup Program and "failed to take a hard look" at potential impacts.
- Marina parking. The 136 spaces serve the residential, restaurant and retail uses, but the petition says there is no off-street, on-site parking for the marina.
- Paved surface. The petition says more than 70% of the site would be impervious, above the 60% maximum.
- Stormwater. The petition says the Town did not require a stormwater pollution prevention plan before granting approval.
The petition asks the court to stop work at the property, annul the negative declaration and all project approvals, and award attorneys' fees. It also describes the site as "the last working commercial wharf on this stretch of Manhasset Bay."
The brownfield track has kept moving in the meantime. The state Department of Environmental Conservation received the application for site C130257 in February, with public comments due March 20, 2026. DEC's file shows a Brownfield Cleanup Agreement executed June 30, a final Remedial Investigation Work Plan dated July 2 and a Community Participation Plan dated August 7. The applicant's own Phase II assessment found exceedances in groundwater and lead and mercury exceedances in soil. It recommended treating excavated soil and dewatering as regulated contaminated waste. Under the program, cleanup happens with DEC oversight.
As of the latest update we found, the case is still pending. A September 23 update from the residents' fundraiser said their counsel was preparing for the Town's response, with no hearing date, injunction, ruling or settlement reported. SOS PW's case timeline lists the August 13 filing and no later court event. When the lawsuit was filed, Newsday reported that neither the Sbarros, through their attorney, nor a Town spokesman had responded to requests for comment. We found no public construction start date.
What is on the wharf right now
The wharf's makeup started changing before any approval. Newsday reported in June that the wharf had 16 tenants, that some had already packed up and posted closure signs, and that only the ice cream shop was guaranteed to stay. Newsday's reporting calls the shop Sweet Treats on the Wharf. Long Island Press quotes the architect naming Douglas & James Homemade Ice Cream as a business the plan keeps. Either way, the reporting describes one ice cream tenant expected to remain.
Two of the boat businesses still list 405 Main Street as home. Port Tiki advertises its Port Washington boat there, and its FAQ says the season runs from Memorial Day weekend to sometime in September or October, weather permitting. The Angler Fleet lists the same address for its fishing charters and cruises, including fall foliage cruises. In June, Newsday reported that both were expected to stay through the summer, with their longer-term futures uncertain. The petition lists what the wharf held "until recently," including a marina, charter fishing and tour boats, a bait-and-tackle shop, a kayak-rental shop and a boatyard. That is the working waterfront the approved plan does not carry forward.
Upcoming milestones
These are the next public steps on record:
- The Town's response in State Supreme Court. It is the next stage named in the September 23 update.
- Any ruling on the request to stop work. The petition asks the court to block site work while the case moves forward.
- DEC's remedial investigation. Results under the July 2 work plan will shape what the cleanup involves.
- Charter seasons. Whether Port Tiki and The Angler Fleet return to 405 Main Street next Memorial Day weekend will show what the wharf keeps in the meantime.
Changes on the water like this one can affect values on the surrounding streets, from Mitchell Farms to the blocks above Main Street. If you own nearby and want to see where your home stands while Inspiration Wharf plays out, Team Knoell can walk you through it with local context, not just a number. Get Your Instant Home Valuation, then call us to talk it over.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
