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Tour Recap
On Friday, August 9th, members of the APA NY Metro Chapter met on the Long Beach Boardwalk for a morning of touring the City of Long Beach. Patti Bourne, Director of Economic Development of Planning, greeted attendees and introduced the first of many speakers, DPW Commissioner John Mirando. Commissioner Mirando discussed Long Beach’s resiliency projects such as the Army Corps Dunes Project, the Northshore Bulkheading, new OEM Command Center, pump stations, and other flood mitigation strategies. Gordon Tepper, Senior Policy Advisor and Director of Communications, discussed the marketing of Long Beach, especially after Hurricane Sandy devastated the coastal community. Patricia Bourne talked about the importance of the boardwalk and its quick rebuild after Sandy.
The group then checked out the Skudin Surf Camp where Will Skudin discussed the uniqueness of Long Beach as a surfing destination. Will Skudin is an internationally ranked professional surfer who resides in Long Beach and teaches surfing lessons with his brother Cliff Skudin.
The group then hopped aboard an open-air trolley to explore more of Long Beach. The tour was able to visit the West End, which is a tight-knit community that features many unique local businesses and restaurants. The trolley route included Pennsylvania Ave, a block displaying a number of raised homes which were once beach bungalows. Many of these projects were funded by HUD CDBG-DR funds administered by the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. The trolley then visited North Shore Bulkheading, a project to install new and replaced substandard bulkheads along the Bayfront of Long Beach utilizing FEMA and CDBG-DR funding. The group then passed by the Long Beach Sewer Treatment Plant. The STP is in the preliminary stages of a project to decrease nitrogen pollution and improve the water quality of Reynolds Channel. This is a collaborative project between Nassau County and the City of Long Beach. The tour ended at Long Beach City Hall where the group took a tour the new Office of Emergency Management Command Center (still under construction).
The morning concluded with lunch at a local restaurant where guest speaker, Leah Tozer, realtor and partner at Engel & Volkers, discussed the current real estate market on the barrier island, and the many challenges homeowners face due to sea level rise and new flood insurance requirements.
The Long Island Section would like to thank Patti Bourne, Rebecca Steiner and the City of Long Beach for organization and hosting an informative and fun morning by the sea. We look forward to announcing next year’s field trip!
