A virtual town hall will be held next week seeking community input on a proposal to build storm mitigation features along the Long Island City waterfront and at Newtown Creek. Flood water at Hunters Point South Park on Dec. 23, 2022 (Photo by Michael Dorgan)
Feb. 17, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
A virtual town hall will be held next week seeking community input on a proposal to build storm mitigation features along the Long Island City waterfront and at Newtown Creek.
The meeting, which is being hosted by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, will take place via Zoom on Feb. 23 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The proposal would see a series of flood barrier walls, levees, sea walls and an elevated promenade being constructed along the waterfront by Hunters Point South Park and Gantry Plaza State Park. The changes would start at 43rd Avenue and run south as far as Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn.
The project also calls for one large in-water barrier and gate — known as a storm surge gate — near the mouth of Newtown Creek. The structure would reduce the existing 400-foot wide opening to around 130 feet.
The proposal is part of a wider plan to protect the New York-New Jersey Harbor from coastal storm risks — and reduce the economic costs associated with flood and storm events. USACE released a draft plan in October identifying future flood risk areas throughout the harbor and put forward potential mitigation features.
The proposal is still in its early stages and the public is being asked to submit feedback in order to help guide USACE’s planning process.
Flood water at Hunters Point South. Video taken on Dec. 23, 2022, by Michael Dorgan
Draft plan for Long Island City waterfront and at Newtown Creek (Screenshot from USACE proposal)
The Hunters Points Park Conservancy, a local volunteer group that helps with the upkeep of the waterfront, says it has a number of concerns about the proposal. Representatives from the group will be attending the meeting.
For instance, the HPPC says it fears that the restored wetlands at Hunter’s Point South Park may be destroyed to make way for the structures.
It also says the project does not properly address long-term sea level rise threats, and instead focuses mostly on storm surge events.
The Newtown Creek Alliance, a local nonprofit group that aims to revitalize the creek, has also said that the project does not tackle sea level rises, particularly around Newtown Creek.
The Newtown Creek Alliance also has misgivings about the proposed storm surge gate, which the group says will fundamentally change the flow of water to and from the creek.
“We need to better understand how this permanent restriction to water flow would impact the creek’s water quality, sediment deposition, fish and marine wildlife passage, Superfund remedies, as well as maritime and recreational use near the mouth,” the group said in a critique of the proposal.
Join me and other government officials for a town hall about US Army Corps plans to build a more resilient North Brooklyn waterfront on Thursday, February 23 from 7:00-9:00PM.
This event will also be virtual, more information below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/tSGDzhH5Kt
— Rep. Nydia Velazquez (@NydiaVelazquez) February 15, 2023
Hunters Point South Park on Nov. 2, 2022 (Photo by Michael Dorgan)
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