Page 2
Fall 2013
NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
water views?
Do we have the school seats,
mass transit, water treat-
ment, upland hospital, health
care services to support new
ƉŽƉƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƚƐ ŶĞĂƌ
the beach?
Are temporary vegetated
dunes 13 feet wide and 5 feet
tall enough to protect the
people of the East Shore?
The East Shore community based
forum focused on:
Strengths:
The Beach, Boardwalk and
Nature
Midland Ave., New Dorp
Lane, Seaview Ave., Sand
>ĂŶĞ ĐŽŶŶĞĐƟǀ ŝƚLJ ƚŽ ƐƚŽƌĞƐ
and Mass Transit
Community Groups like Mid-
ůĂŶĚ ĞĂĐŚ ŝǀ ŝĐK ƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ͕
Staten Island Tax Payers Asso-
ĐŝĂƟŽŶ͕
WƌŽƚĞĐƚŽƌƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞWŝŶĞ
Oak Woods and Natural Re-
ƐŽƵƌĐĞƐ WƌŽƚĞĐƟǀ Ğ ƐƐŽĐŝĂͲ
ƟŽŶ
Weaknesses:
Overdevelopment, including
building structures in the
floodplain
Uncertain future
Insurance costs
Lack of support for residents
and businesses
Lack of adequate infrastruc-
ture like mass transit, sewers,
Į ƌĞƉƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶ
Lack of parking
Midland and South Beach
ƉĂƌƟĂůLJŽƉĞŶ
Threats:
More over development
Flooding and storm surge
Vandalism
Future Insurance costs
>ĂĐŬŽĨ ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƟŽŶ ďĞƚǁ ĞĞŶ
regulatory agencies - local,
state and federal
Lack of economic resources
New Creek Bluebelt acquisi-
ƟŽŶ ŝƐ ƐƚĂůĞĚ
KƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƟĞƐ͗
ĐƋƵŝƐŝƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĂƌĞĂƐ ƚŽ ƌĞͲ
store the Floodplain to its
natural contour and drainage
/
ŶĐƌĞĂƐĞŵĂƐƐ ƚƌĂŶƐƉŽƌƚĂƟŽŶ
Development of flood re-
sistant structures
Notes:
FEMA is federally funded, but
directed by NY State
Buyouts are currently only
offered in Oakwood Beach
New Dorp and Midland
Beach, despite being 'Basins',
will not be offered the buy-
out.
t ĞƐƚĞƌŶ ƉŽƌƟŽŶ ŽĨ E Ğǁ
Creek needs to be dredged
Basins may need standby
storm water pumping sta-
ƟŽŶƐ
/
ƚ͛
Ɛ ƵƉ ƚŽ ƵƐ ƚŽ ƌĞƋƵĞƐƚ ďĞƩ Ğƌ
performance from Agencies
ďLJĐŽŶƚĂĐƟŶŐŽƵƌĞůĞĐƚĞĚ Žĸ Ͳ
cials
Community Forum at Staten
Island Imagines on April 6,
2013
By Jim Scarcella
In April, Natural Resources Pro-
ƚĞĐƟǀ Ğ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ͕
^ƚĂƚĞŶ /ƐůĂŶĚ
dĂdžƉĂLJĞƌƐ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ĐŽŵͲ
munity groups, students, facilita-
ƚŽƌƐ ĂŶĚ ƉůĂŶŶĞƌƐ ĂƩ ĞŶĚĞĚ ƚŚĞ
ƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƐ /ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ ĨŽƌƵŵ ĂŶĚ
workshop on planning the future
of Staten Island's East Shore.
The event was organized by Ar-
chitects of Staten Island in con-
ũƵŶĐƟŽŶ ǁ ŝƚŚ , ƵŶƚĞƌ ŽůĞŐĞ͕
ŽůͲ
lege of Staten Island, Staten Is-
ůĂŶĚ /ŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ ŽĨ ƌƚƐ ĂŶĚ ^ĐŝĞŶĐͲ
ĞƐ͕
dŚĞ ^ƚĂƚĞŶ /ƐůĂŶĚ &ŽƵŶĚĂƟŽŶ͘
There were seven tables broken
out with about 12 persons at
ĞĂĐŚ ƚĂďůĞ͘
WĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚƐ ǁ ĞƌĞŐŝǀ Ͳ
ĞŶ ŵĂƉƐ ĂŶĚ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ
neighborhood demographics, ge-
ology, hydrology, flooding pre-
ǀ ĞŶƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŵƵĐŚ ŵŽƌĞ͘
The facilitators job was not easy,
ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ǁ ŝƚŚ ĞĂĐŚ ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚ
came a different viewpoint.
Striking a balance of the many
ĐŽŵƉĞƟŶŐ ŝŶƚĞƌĞƐƚƐ ƉƌŽǀ ĞĚ Ěŝĸ Ͳ
cult.
Y ƵĞƐƟŽŶƐ͗
Where might it be safe to re-
build?
^ŚŽƵůĚ Ăů ĞdžŝƐƟŶŐ ƐƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĞƐ
be required to have a 1st
ŇŽŽƌ ĞůĞǀ ĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ϭϭ ĨĞĞƚ
above sea level?
What about those persons
who cannot afford to raise
their homes? Should they be
forced to sell their property?
^ŚŽƵůĚ ƚŚĞƌĞ ďĞ ŶĞǁ ͕
ŵƵůƟͲ
family dwellings built with
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NRPA
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