Committee on Recovery and Resiliency
New York City Council
250 Broadway
New York, NY 10007 Members of the Committee, Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony. I am writing today to urge the City of New York, in coordination with the State of New York, the Army Corps of Engineers and any other necessary partners, to fund an emergency sand replacement and groin installation in Rockaway Beach, specifically between Beach 90th and Beach 95th streets and between Beach 126th and Beach 149th streets, as the lack of sand (and the lack of groins to retain that sand) leaves entire blocks vulnerable to a major storm. Hurricane Sandy devastated the Rockaway Peninsula, which is my home, and the communities surrounding Jamaica Bay. Immediately after the storm, the Corps came through with emergency sand replacement to protect Rockaway from future storm surges. They quickly completed that work, placing 3.5 million cubic yards of sand on the Peninsula, and we owe much of our subsequent safety to those efforts. However, it has been two years since that sand placement, and already the Peninsula has experienced substantial erosion. For many years, both before and after Superstorm Sandy, residents of southern Queens and many experts have been advocating for more permanent measures to protect our homes and communities. The long-term comprehensive coastal storm risk reduction plan for Rockaway and Jamaica Bay requires the completion of hard protective features including a sea wall, jetties and groins. Long Island, Staten Island, the Jersey Shore, and Coney Island have all received protective measures, while the Rockaway Peninsula is left exposed. Families in southern Queens and Rockaway deserve – and absolutely need – to have basic safety measures in place for this upcoming hurricane season, which is projected by NOAA to be the worst in several years. For these reasons, I am requesting emergency sand replacement and groin installation as soon as possible – not at the end of the summer (after hurricane season and the risk of catastrophe), not next year, but right away. Thank you for your immediate attention to this matter. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact my office at 718-945-9550. Sincerely,
Stacey Pheffer Amato
Member of Assembly, 23rd District