Page 3
Spring 2013
NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION
time residences.
Worse, wetland properties adjacent
to summer bungalows were devel-
oped with new houses on the prem-
ise that a native species buffer would
absorb the flood drainage water.
DEC was pressured to grant permits
and did so.
So many unsuspecting home buyers
purchased their dream home only to
find that they were vulnerable when
coastal storms occurred.
Some paid for this with their lives.
We cannot allow this again.
It’s up to us to insist that the persons
with properties in the flood plain re-
ceive a fair offer for the parcels. The
property must be purchases by Gov-
ernment, like NYC DPR and or NYC
DEP for inclusion in the Bluebelt.
Please, please help the property
owners affected by pushing for the
dollars from the recovery effort is
used for buyouts.
A Shoreline Journey
By Jim Scarcella
Staten Island has 57 miles of shore-
line. Starting clockwise from the bulk
headed SI Ferry Terminal, we have
the NYC Economic Development
Corporation fishing pier connected to
the Lighthouse museum area, the SI
home port and the shoreline of Clif-
ton. The shoreline of Clifton was
formerly the site of the Harbor Watch
coordinating the coming and going of
marine traffic. This is the site of the
proposed US Lighthouse Museum,
the Guards watch house which is the
Harbor Masters Quarters with its
thick glass and marble thresholds
has been washed in the surf for
years, producing some great sea
glass and stones.
The next public area is Buono Beach
(
formally Penny Beach), connected
to Alice Austen House Park, all the
way to the Coast Guard Station.
There are some large boulders here
that my mom and her sisters used to
swim and sunbathe on. In 1998, a
barge ran aground here, fortunately
it was empty, and it was high and dry
for many months.
In 1996 remains of a sturgeon were
discovered here, and in early winter
2011
the remains of a smooth dog
fish were discovered. The area has
been marred by unwarranted build-
ing on the cliff, causing a partial col-
lapse of the hillsides into the Lower
NY Bay. The buildings were vacated
by NYC Dept. of Buildings. Owners
litigated to re-occupy in 2010.
Friends of Clearwater performed
clean ups here, and Kayak SI runs a
launch spot.
At Shore Acres, a private owner built
a 4-story mansion into the cliff. No
one can figure out how this structure
is legal according to the Coastal
Zone Management Act.
After that the next legal access point
is Von Briessen Park, and its well
shaded, with many squirrels jumping
around most days. The views are
great, but forget about climbing down
to the water, the cliff is very steep
and dangerous.
Fort Wadsworth of Gateway National
Recreation Area has a great deal of
military and marine history. Joseph
Esposito and friends lovingly re-
stored the old abandoned lighthouse
in 2003.
There are restrictions from the Fort
underneath the bridge. Here we also
find the jetty with the best moving
water, and a nice cove with riprap
and bladder wrack, but it is off limits.
However, to the east and south
around the bend, there is a great
swimming beach around the bend
used by Coast Guard personnel and
their families. North Shore Water-
front Conservancy Inc. and NRPA
had a great cleanup here in 2009,
removing over 5,000 lbs. of debris.
Continuing our journey we arrive at
South Beach, you see the remains of
the old 300 ft. pier now the home to
a group of double crested cormo-
rants.
Travelling south along the East
Shore, you come to Midland Beach
with its sandy beaches and there are
remnants of the summer bungalow
colony at Graham Beach, along with
10
storm water out fall jetties.
Next up on the East Shore is the
Gateway National Recreation Area,
Miller Field Beach with primrose and
sandbars. This spot is a great fish-
ing spot for ling, whiting (kingfish)
and tommy cod.
At the bottom of New Dorp (Town)
Lane starts New Dorp Beach, a good
fishing jetty, steep eroding clay cliffs,
the Stonehenge remains of an old
hospital with a heliport, and much
more. This was the site of old ship-
wrecks and occasional coins.
When I was young, my Aunt Amelia
and Aunt Dot took us swimming
here, directly opposite the Knights of
Columbus Hall on Cedar Grove Ave.
The K of C building used to be occu-
pied by a general store serving the
whole summer bungalow community.
Continuing south, you come upon
Cedar Grove Beach, a publicly
owned beach colony being renovat-
ed by Parks Dept. Many of the
beach cabins here were destroyed in
a severe Nor'easter storm in 1992.
The beach is nearly pristine with two
jetties, there is a nice upland park
with phragmites, and some woods.
The next great shoreline place is
Oakwood Beach at the marsh and
Kissam Ave. flagpole, there used to
be a Parks Dept. stone sea turtle
tribute here, but vandals destroyed it.
The NRPA and FCA have cleaned
this beach park about 6 times since
2004.
The informational illustrated
dais about Kemps Ridley is still
there. The berm was rebuilt around
1990
and includes a walking path to
the jetty for the floodgate of the adja-
cent creek.
If you cross the muskrat-occupied
creek by jumping some stones from
over the tidal gate, you enter the
north portion of Great Kills Park
Gateway NRA. This area has the
remains of an old Mansion men-
tioned and photographed in William
T. Davis' book 'Days Afield' on Stat-
en Island. Gateway NRA, Great Kills
Park used to be part of NYC Parks,
and before that, it was a landfill with