Hearing To Determine Fate Of Coney Boardwalk Imminent

As we reported last month, the battle over the future of Coney Island’s historic boardwalk is finally coming to a head this Thursday, October 25, at 360 Adams Street, Kings County Supreme Court House, in hearing room 38.

Todd Dobrin, president of the “Friends of Coney Island Boardwalk,” along with Rob Burstein, president of the Coney-Brighton Boardwalk Alliance, are taking on the Parks Department’s effort to replace the wooden slats that comprise the historic walkway with plastic and concrete.

Dobrin and Burstein not only object to whatever cosmetic degradation a plastic and concrete boardwalk might bring, but also to, what they believe, are looked-over safety concerns ignored by the Parks Department in the installation of a massive concrete infrastructure. Dobrin and Burstein made their complaints clear in an op-ed to the Daily News:

Already, thousands of settling cracks have appeared in the concrete pilot project sections of the Boardwalk, and chunks of concrete have broken off in a number of places.

Concrete stores heat, making it uncomfortable to sit on and increasing the temperature of the whole area. The sun glare is blinding, and the hard surface is damaging to the joints of the countless runners and pedestrians who use the Boardwalk daily.

For those wishing to attend the hearing, it is requested that you dress modestly, bring no signs of any kind, and arrive as early as 9:00 a.m. Because this is a high profile case with large public interest, it is likely that it will be the first case called at 9:30 a.m., so arriving early will afford attendees adequate time to pass through security and find seating.