Page 7
Fall 2013
NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
ĨĞǁ LJĞĂƌƐ ďĂĐŬ͕
ƐŽŵĞ ƐĞĐƟŽŶƐ
of Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach/
Coney Island boardwalk were re-
placed with concrete slabs as a
“
pilot study”. Calling a project a
“
pilot study” basically means that
it can move forward with just
about zero oversight. The only
thing that is really needed is the
green light from an obscure City
agency called The Design Com-
mission. Composed of Mayoral
appointees, the people on the
commission are museum board
ŵĞŵďĞƌƐ͕
ĂƌƟƐƚƐ ĂŶĚ ĂƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƐ͘
/
Ŷ ĂĚĚŝƟŽŶ ƚŽ ĂĐƟŶŐ ĂƐ ĐƵƌĂƚŽƌƐ
ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŝƚLJ͛
Ɛ ƉƵďůŝĐĂƌƚ ĐŽůĞĐƟŽŶ͕
ƚŚĞŝƌ ĨƵŶĐƟŽŶ ŝƐ ďĂƐŝĐĂůLJƚŽ Ğǀ ĂůͲ
ƵĂƚĞ ƚŚĞ ĂĞƐƚŚĞƟĐƐ ŽĨ Ă ƉƌŽũĞĐƚ͘
In other words, does it look nice?
No environmental studies, no
ƐĐŝĞŶƟĮ ĐĞǀ ĂůƵĂƟŽŶ͕
ŝƚ ũƵƐƚ ŚĂƐ ƚŽ
look good.
Concrete has long been used in
offshore breakwaters, to concen-
trate wave energy. The wave hits
the concrete with all of its force,
so the water that travels towards
the beach is much calmer. But
this comes at a price. The force
ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ǁ Ăǀ Ğ Śŝƫ ŶŐ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŶĐƌĞƚĞ
erodes the sand at the base of
the structure.
The pilot project, concrete slab
ƐĞĐƟŽŶƐ ŝŶ ƌŽŽŬůLJŶ͕
ǁ ĞƌĞ ŶĞĂƌ
ŵĂŶLJŚŝŐŚ ƌŝƐĞ ƌĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂůďƵŝůĚͲ
ings. But when residents voiced
their concerns about increased
beach erosion in a hurricane,
they were told that they had
nothing to worry about – a storm
surge would NEVER hit the
Brighton Beach/Coney Island
boardwalk!
Well, the rest is history.
dŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ ƐŽŵĞ ƐĞĐƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ
Rockaway and Staten Island
boardwalks that have already
been replaced with concrete.
Ƶƚ ƚŚĞƐĞ ƐĞĐƟŽŶƐ ĂƌĞ ĂĚũĂĐĞŶƚ
to parkland or vacant lots, which
ĐĂŶ ŵŝƟŐĂƚĞƚŚĞŝŵƉĂĐƚƐ ŽĨ ƐƚŽƌŵ
surges. But in Brooklyn, the pro-
ƉŽƐĞĚ ĐŽŶĐƌĞƚĞ ƐĞĐƟŽŶƐ ǁ ŽƵůĚ
be right up against buildings,
which would get the full force of
the storm surge as it bounced off
the concrete. There was a small
ĐŽŶĐƌĞƚĞ ƐĞĐƟŽŶ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƚĞĚ
near Ocean Parkway and the
storm surge impacts were very
different than what occurred
near the adjacent wooden sec-
ƟŽŶƐ͗
Concrete: Several feet of ero-
sion underneath the slabs.
Eight to ten feet of sand on
the streets next to it. No
sand on top of the slabs. This
suggests that the storm surge
did not slow down as it went
over the concrete.
Wood: Sand piled up to the level
of the boards, no erosion under-
neath. Mere inches of sand on
the adjacent street. Several inch-
es of sand on top of the wooden
ďŽĂƌĚƐ͕
ƐƵŐŐĞƐƟŶŐƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ƐƵƌŐĞ
slowed down when it hit the
wood and suspended sand
ƐĞƩ ůĞĚ ŽƵƚ͘
dŚĞ ďŽƩ Žŵ ůŝŶĞ ŝƐ ƚŚĂƚ ďĞĨŽƌĞ
ǀ ĂƐƚ ƐĞĐƟŽŶƐ ŽĨ ƐŚŽƌĞůŝŶĞ ďŽĂƌĚͲ
walks are modified, further inves-
ƟŐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ƐƚŽƌŵ ƐƵƌŐĞ ŝŵƉĂĐƚƐ ŝƐ
desperately needed. There are
sustainable,
durable woods
ǁ ŚŝĐŚ ƉƌŽǀ ŝĚĞ Ă ŐƌĞĂƚ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟǀ Ğ
to tropical hardwoods.
These
include black locust, which has
long been used for outdoor decks
and something new called Ke-
bony. This is southern yellow
pine which is treated with a sugar
cane byproduct. It was used to
create a shoreline esplanade in
Hunters Point South Waterfront
Park in Queens and it got through
^ĂŶĚLJŝŶ ŐƌĞĂƚ ĐŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ͘
Wooden boardwalks are a delight
to behold. Let’s hope that some
common sense is used before
replacing them.
Bluebelt Cleanup on June 1,
2013
By Jim Scarcella
NRPA, Dept. of Environmental
WƌŽƚĞĐƟŽŶ ĞŵƉůŽLJĞĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƐƚƵͲ
dents from Susan Wagner High
School teamed up to clean the
New Creek Bluebelt preserve on
a very humid June 1, 2013
Bluebelt Cleanup Volunteers