718-634-4000

Reality Sinking In?




Share this:

The Wave is as excited about the resurgence of Rockaway as anyone. We regularly report on how tourism, business and quality of life issues are on the rebound. However, we also know that any rejuvenation is held back by several obvious realities; the most glaring being an erosion of protection.

Local activist Eddy Pastore puts it best: “So much for the renaissance of Rockaway, as on Jan 10, 2016 I saw the ocean devour our beach right up to the base of the dunes. Where will the 7.7 million people that we hope come next season and spend money here, sit? Again and again time has showed that without jetties, the beaches will continue to erode, to the point that our safety will be in jeopardy once again. After all the rallies, all the meetings … we are back to square one!”

Let’s be honest, Pastore is right.

Back in April of 2015, Pastore called the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) presentation of the Rockaway Reformulation project as the “Most Important Meeting You’ll Ever Attend.” Alternatives were presented for the implementation of the plan, and the packed house agreed that Alternative 3; sand replenishment, the dune construction, berms, construction of 12 new groins, and the extension of other groins on the east side of the peninsula, was by far the best.

We were told at that meeting that by September, we would know which alternative had been chosen. It’s January 2016, and we’re still waiting.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *