Coney Island group urges proposed ferry to be relocated due to dredging concerns

Local leaders joined members of Coney Islanders for an Ocean Side Ferry to talk about the status of a stalled ferry project that would provide service from Manhattan's Financial District.

News 12 Staff

May 25, 2022, 2:26 AM

Updated 867 days ago

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Some residents in Coney Island are concerned about a ferry service potentially coming to the neighborhood.
Local leaders joined members of Coney Islanders for an Ocean Side Ferry to talk about the status of a stalled ferry project that would provide service from Manhattan's Financial District.
The meeting at P.S. 329 came less than a year after former Mayor Bill de Blasio's plans for the ferry were stopped by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
Brooklyn residents told News 12 that their concerns with the ferry mainly are about the dredging that would take place in building the landing area near a waterfront park used for fishing and playing.
"We are trying to make sure that the community is aware of exactly what is going on. Yes, we do want a ferry, but we want the ferry as they originally said to be on the oceanside,” says Anne Michelle Valdez, co-president of Coney Islanders for an Ocean Side Ferry. “Behind our back, they chose to put it in Kaiser Park. That is not a good place to be putting it for many reasons. First, Kaiser Park is highly toxic."
Officials say the project was stalled in December after the dredging contractor was spotted breaking multiple safety permit violations, including the handling of dredge spoils.