34 The Queens Courier • august 22, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Sandy situation at Rockaway Beach BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] Rockaway Beach is coming back, potentially better than before. Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined the Army Corps of Engineers, city agency officials and various elected officials on Thursday, August 15 to detail the sand restoration plan for Rockaway Beach. The plan’s first phase will replenish 600,000 cubic yards of sand, while the second phase restores 3.5 million cubic yards to the beach that Sandy washed away. “Beaches are a crucial defense against flooding and coastal storms,” Bloomberg said. “Now we’re working hard to strengthen those defenses.” The 600,000 cubic yards is being pumped from Beach 149th Street down to Beach 89th Street. Dredging material in the water, located at the Rockaway Inlet, will clear a navigation channel that “hasn’t been cleared in a long time” while also bringing in “good quality sand” for the beach, said Colonel Paul Owen of the Army Corps of Engineers. The 3.5 million cubic yards will stretch down the peninsula to Beach 19th Street. “There’s a lot to be done and there’s great work going on — and we have a lot more to do,” Owen said. However, residents say the project is a long time coming. For years, groups such as the Friends of Rockaway Beach and various civic associations have advocated for beach protection. “It’s unfortunate it took a natural disaster for so many people to wake up to the problems that we’ve been facing in Rockaway for so, so long,” said Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder. When the project is complete, estimated to be by next Memorial Day, Owen said the total will PHOTO COURTESY OF FLICKR Mayor Michael Bloomberg detailed sand replenishment plans in Rockaway Beach on Thursday, August 15. be more sand than the Rockaways has seen since about 1970. A series of protective walls will also be installed from Beach 126th Street to Beach 149th Street, Bloomberg said. “Together, these measures will not only reverse damage to the beach done by Sandy, they will make the beach stronger than it was before the storm,” he said. The roughly $300 million project is funded by federal Sandy relief funds. Community plans are also helping to rebuild the damaged boardwalk. The Parks Department has hosted several meetings in various parts of the peninsula to discuss what is needed going forward. Boardwalk designs will be presented to the community in September, with construction starting potentially by the end of the year, said Parks Commissioner Veronica White. “When we open the beach next year, Rockaway will be better than ever and that is a day that I am truly looking forward to,” said Councilmember Eric Ulrich. QUEENSWAY STUDY MOVING FORWARD BY MAGIE HAYES [email protected] Over three miles of abandoned railway could become the much-debated, yet eagerly anticipated, QueensWay Park for the borough. The nonprofit Trust for Public Land introduced a design team on Tuesday, August 20 set to study the 3.5-mile greenway that was once the Rockaway Beach LIRR line, running from Rego Park to Ozone Park. If approved and the project moves forward, the QueensWay would be double the size of Manhattan’s High Line, The Courier reported in December. The year-long study, starting after Labor Day, will be conducted by WXY architecture + urban design and dlandstudio and will look at a variety of ways to convert the abandoned rail line into parkland, including engineering requirements, environmental impact and community feedback. “The QueensWay is going to be New York’s next great park,” said Marc Matsil, New York state director of the Trust for Public Land. “Our mission is to protect land for people, and this is a perfect fit with that goal.” The walkway will connect multiple communities and provide green space for 250,000 people in the borough, said Trust for Public Land officials. Art, sculptures and food from around the world will also be included. Jack Friedman, Queens Chamber of Commerce executive director, said this initiative will provide a “muchneeded boost” to the borough’s economy and local businesses. The study will be funded by a $467,000 grant from Governor Andrew Cuomo as well as $140,000 from the Department of Environmental Protection and private donors. However, not everybody is on board with the study, or the QueensWay itself. Assemblymember Phillip Goldfeder said he believes local residents would greatly benefit from “a complete restoration of the Rockaway Beach Line.” “I am confident that any objective study regarding the best use for the abandoned rail line will conclude that a transportation option is the only real choice,” he said. “The current lack of public transit options in Queens is strangling our businesses and hurting our families.” Ford Certifi ed Pre-Owned Vehicles: • 172pt inspection • Free vehicle history report $25,995 $14,595 Showroom Hours: Mon-Thur: 9-8pm, Fri-Sat: 9-6pm, Sun: 12-5pm Service: Mon-Fri: 7-5pm, Sat: 8-4pm, Sun: Closed Parts: Mon-Fri 7:30-5pm, Sat: 8-4 pm, Sun: Closed $13,995 112-21 Northern Blvd, Corona, NY • 1.718.505.5280 • DiBlasiFord.com $27,995 Prices include all costs to a consumer except tax, tags & MV fees. All fi nancing subject to primary lender approval. See dealer for complete details. Offers cannot be combined. Pre-owned vehicles cosmetically as is. 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