End seen in 7-year wait for bulkheads

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Long Beach officials said they hope to wrap up talks next month with the Metropolitan Transportation Administration to settle a seven-year-old dispute that has blocked the construction of bulkheads to prevent serious flooding in the North Park section of the city.

Rich Berrios, the city’s corporation counsel, said at a council meeting on Aug. 16 in response to a question from Crystal Lake, a North Park resident, that, “The seven-year gap has been an uphill climb. We are nearly at the finish line. We have a lot of green lights.” Berrios said he hoped city and MTA officials would be able to meet in September and resolve the issues.

The key holdups, the city has said, is the amount of insurance overage the MTA seeks to protect its Long Island Railroad employees who would be working near the construction of the bulkheads. The MTA is the parent agency of the LIRR.

The LIRR has a set of complex insurance requirements it has forwarded to the city. Included are “umbrella” coverage; auto coverage, and marine protection and indemnity, among other items. The coverage could run into millions of dollars. But city and LIRR/MTA officials are negotiating and costs could be far lower.

Joe Febrizio, Long Beach’s commissioner of public works, said he was “outraged” at the seven years the issue has taken and the amount the MTA wants for insurance to cover its workers. The bulkhead construction would be done near MTA property, and workers are often there to make repairs.

The public works commissioner said the city wants to install 2700 linear feet of bulkhead, demolish an abandoned gun range on Water Street and replace all utilities on Water Street, including water and sewer infrastructure, and repave the street.

“I’m hoping with the help of the council we can put pressure on the railroad,” Febrizio said.

Lake, a life-long Long Beach resident who lives on East Market Street, asked for frequent updates on the project. “It is of utmost importance we do not fall back so that there isn’t another seven-year delay,” she said.

In a statement, MTA spokesman Dave Steckel said, “The LIRR and our partners from the city of Long Beach are close to finalizing an agreement to protect critical infrastructure that meets the needs of both the LIRR and the city.” He declined to comment further.

North Park residents have complained for years about flooding from Reynolds Channel, even during relatively mild rainstorms. Flooding, they say, is ankle-high or more and has damaged basement areas.

Lake was asked last week if she was satisfied with what she heard from city officials.

“Yes,” she said “for now. But we’ll have to see what happens. We have to pray we’re able to sustain ourselves” in the event of a storm. “We’re not protected here, and we have nowhere to go” because of the high price of real estate.  “We have to pray we’re not eliminated by Mother Nature.”

The project is funded by FEMA.

“It’s like a lagoon here when it rains,” said Jonathan Santano, 38, a handyman who lives in the area. “People have to call tow trucks” to pull their cars out of the water. He added that he was unsure whether anything could be done. “We live near the water,” he said simply.

Asked to describe flooding conditions in the area, a man who identified himself only as Ronnie said, “Come out when it’s raining. Then you’ll know. But put on your boots.”