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Mostly Cloudy State funding secured for Morgan Park seawall
On the beach at Morgan Memorial Park, City of Glen Cove Mayor Tim Tenke, Nassau County Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton and Glen Cove Public Works Commissioner Louis Saulino joined State Senator Jim Gaughran to investigate the collapsing sea wall at the park.
There had been concern about the seawall’s condition because of Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Built in the 1920s, the seawall will be repaired in the coming years because Gaughran helped secure $250,000 in state funding to do so.
“Long Island is dealing with the serious threats of climate change including increased and severe coastal storms,” Gaughran said. “The Morgan Memorial Park seawall is the city’s last line of defense to protecting Glen Cove from storm flooding and coastal erosion. [The money] should allow them to hopefully rebuild this wall quicker and stronger.”
Since it is a historical structure, Gaughran said, the project, which is set to go into planning in the spring, will be executed in such a way that should maintain the wall’s integrity.
Saulino confirmed that the wall will be repaired with the existing stones, and that he does not believe he will need to use any new stones to repair it.
“The first thing we will be doing is an evaluation of the whole wall again; we have plans from 2010. It went out to bid and then it was never awarded,” Saulino explained. “What we’ll do this time, depending on the pot of money we have available in total, is take the wall as far as it can go, with the most important issues taken care of first.”
The wall’s design should be approved by the City Council at the Oct. 13 meeting, Saulino added. After completing the design and having the wall receive a full evaluation, the project should go out to bid next spring.
The main focus of the project will be on the side of the wall facing the oncoming waves, which will not only protect Morgan Park but also protect the city. According to Gaughran’s office, the wall, made of granite blocks each weighing over a thousand pounds, is so significantly damaged that the wall is leaning inland, making the city vulnerable amid a very active hurricane season.
“Superstorm Sandy and other storms have taken their toll on the seawall at Morgan Park,” DeRiggi-Whitton said. “I am so glad that Senator Jim Gaughran was able to secure $250,000 in state funding to repair and preserve the beautiful sea wall as well as the walkway above the wall.”
As the elected officials walked the shore of Morgan Memorial Park looking at the sea wall that will soon be repaired, Gaughran thanked Tenke for helping advance this project, which many are saying is a long time coming.
“Being that part of the park is along the waterfront, it does incur damage from heavy storms,” Tenke said. “This park is utilized by many people and being able to restore the seawall will ensure many more years of enjoyment by the public.”
