As we all know, Hurricane Sandy caused severe damage to many of our homes, businesses and town facilities. Like many of you, we are working hard to rebuild. Two of our most badly damaged facilities are Cedar Beach Marina and Gilgo Beach.
At the Marina, the entire boardwalk on the main dock needs to be replaced as does the bulkhead. Throughout the facility, the entire electrical and water system needs to be replaced. The boat pump out station also is in need of replacement. At Gilgo Beach, while the bay side was minimally effected the loss of sand on the ocean side was devastating. At both Cedar Overlook and Cedar Beach, there was significant beach erosion which has resulted in the formation of deep standing pools of water. In addition to this major damage, other repairs are needed throughout these facilities as a result of the storm.
Providing our residents with newly renovated and in some cases upgraded facilities is our top priority. Our residents have endured enough and we want to insure that you have the summer season that you have come to anticipate and enjoy in our town.
To that end, our staff are working non-stop to have your facilities ready by Memorial Day weekend. We have given our contractors firm deadlines and will institute stiff penalties if those deadlines are not met. Having said this, there is always a possibility that supply inventory or a harsh winter can cause unexpected delays and we want everyone to be prepared for that reality.
At Cedar Marina, we have hired an engineering firm to design an entire new marina which will include upgraded 50 amp electrical service and new electrical and water service throughout. We are working with New York State to pump sand onto Gilgo Beach and have been working to get approval to do the same at our other ocean facilities. We will be awarding construction bids in the next two weeks with a start date at the end of the month.
We will continue to keep you updated on our progress through our website--specifically our Sandy Recovery Info page. Please know that we are doing everything we can to have our facilities ready for you for the 2013 summer season. We are all in this together and we will do everything we can to keep Babylon the best recreational town in Suffolk County.
Sincerely,
RICHARD SCHAFFER
Supervisor
ANTONIO MARTINEZCouncilman
Chair, Parks and Recreation Committee