Public Comment Period on Storm Resiliency Extended To December 2nd.

The project in question is the Jamaica Bay/Rockaway Draft Reformulation Plan, and its objective is to enhance storm resiliency efforts on the shorefront areas that were blasted by Superstorm Sandy. The $3.8 billion plan talks of raising bulkheads and sea walls, as well as even larger projects such as a floodgate by the Mill Basin Bridge.

Photo by Michelle Inciarrano.

“Hurricane Sandy is still a recent memory for our community and the recovery process is still ongoing,” said Cymbrowitz. “The storm mitigation and preparedness measures that the Army Corps seeks to implement will have a far-reaching impact on our shorefront and will potentially save entire communities from tragedy and devastation in the future.”The plan suggests a wide range of projects for shorefront communities in Brooklyn and Queens, including beach nourishment, barriers, sub-gates, and residual risk features such as a hurricane barrier at the mouth of Jamaica Bay.

Photo by Michelle Inciarrano.The proposed project would cost roughly $3.8 billion, of which the federal government would contribute 65 percent.

If you live in the affected areas, want to submit a comment for the plan, or if you have questions, reach out to your local community board (call 311 and they will connect you). To request a copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement and submit written comments, contact:The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District
Planning Division-Environmental Branch (ATTN: Mr. Robert Smith)
26 Federal Plaza, New York, New York 10278-0090
Email: Project Biologist Robert.J.Smith@usace.army.mil and Project Manager Daniel Falt Daniel.T.Falt@usace.army.mil