Gateway Officials Refute Charges Pier’s "Falling Apart"
Gateway Officials Refute Charges Pier’s "Falling Apart"
Gateway Officials Refute Charges Pier’s "Falling Apart"
Cobblestones in some areas have been torn up by youths who then throw them into the water off pier, according to Gateway officials and many individuals who visit the pier regularly.
By Charles Rogers
Officials at Gateway National Recreation Area who run Canarsie Pier last week refuted charges by a group made up mostly of retirees who visit the pier on a daily basis that the facility is "falling apart." While the seniors’ group is circulating a petition stating they want something done about it, Park Rangers and Gateway authorities say the pier is being maintained properly, within budget constraints.
Asking that his name be withheld, a spokesman for the seniors said in an exclusive interview that he and his peers are "completely disgusted" with the way the pier has deteriorated since it was refurbished more than eight years ago.
"The old pier we had puts the new one to shame," he said. "There are 25 members of my group who play dominoes, cards and checkers; retired men on disability and Social Security who chip in $25 a month so we can have sodas and snacks and we want to enjoy it the way we’re supposed to." He said the water fountains in the area are broken and that "at least half" of the lights around the pier are not working. He also noted that many of the cobblestones that were laid during the refurbishment have been "torn up and thrown into the water by vandals."
"On top of that, the trees are dying due to lack of spraying and not being tended to," the man said. He also noted that the parking area "looks awful," noting that the white lines separating the parking spaces are not clear "and therefore owners of cars and vans get (parking) tickets over and over."
Jose Ramirez, who is the chief Ranger in charge of the pier, says the charges are unwarranted.
"Within budget constraints we have some problems," he said, "But we’re working on all of them." He said the lack of full lighting around the perimeter of the pier recently was due to a "short circuit that workers are having trouble finding" but that it is being addressed. In answer to why the water fountains are broken, Ramirez said, "It’s the same problem as the cobblestones being torn up: vandals break them and we try to get them fixed as soon as we can; they pick up the cobblestones and throw them in the water, but we can’t do anything unless we actually catch them in the act."
Noting he has five Park Rangers on duty, plus a handful of volunteers who help clean up, Ramirez said, on average, nearly 2,000 people visit the pier daily during the summer months.
Dave Avrin, assistant superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area, said he is aware of the petition and thus some of the problems at the pier.
"We know there are some problems," he said, "and we’re trying to address them, including finding an alternative to cobblestones." He said much of the Rangers’ time is spent "cleaning up."
"If we had more manpower and, of course, more funding, we could make the pier shine," he said. "Meanwhile, we’re doing the best we can. Once again, given enough time, we’ll be able to come up with solutions for all the problems."
