By KIMBERLY ACEVEDO
Citing hurricanes and storms that have damaged the barrier island from over 60 years ago, Weisenberg believes damage to the island and beaches from a future storm is imminent. Taking his pleas to public meetings and making residents aware of potential dangers is the key, he said, to moving forward on the project. The Long Beach city council holds the final decision whether or not to participate in the $85 million beach project.
Just two weeks ago, Weisenberg said, he was on the beach looking at the high tide water mark. It was underneath the boardwalk, he said, apparently caused by a storm 500 miles away.
God created this Island to protect this mainland, Weisenberg said. Nature is sending us a message...we are going to lose our beach and I don't want to see that happen.
Coming armed with a plethora of information on possible storm and hurricane damage, Weisenberg said during a category three or four hurricane the first floor of City Hall, the hospital and the train station would be flooded. Still, even with a category one or two hurricane, Weisenberg believes the beaches will see extensive damage.
The awareness is here and we have a decision to make, he said. I took 15 years working with good people who took the time and energy to work on this project.
A supporter of the plan from the beginning, Weisenberg said he has fought to see the project come to fruition. Protection of the people, the island and its beaches were his main concerns.
There is no stronger advocate for the people and the environment in Long Beach than Assemblyman Weisenberg, city councilman Leonard Remo said. He speaks with his heart and his years of legislative experience when discussing the Army Corps project.
However, while Weisenberg called on the city council to make a decision and to do it soon, Remo said the council hasn't just been mulling around. Instead, they have been working with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the Army Corps to clarify and answer questions they still have regarding the project. In fact, city officials have taken a trip to West Hampton to speak with its city officials on the project the Army Corps completed there, Remo said.
The city has done a tremendous amount of due diligence, Remo said. We are not sand bagging or stonewalling the project. We are doing due diligence.
Still, at least one councilman believes that many factors can hinder the decision of the project. And scaring the public, councilman Denis Kelly said, is not the way to go about it. Last month, Kelly said that he was formally against the Army Corps' project.
Assemblyman Weisenberg's position is clearly understood, Kelly said. [But] We should make our collective decision based on fact, not on fear. The most important thing for the city officials, including council members, is to educate the public, elicit informed comment and make a well grounded decision.
