From beach access and road conditions to public safety, sinkholes and quality-of-life concerns, residents received updates on issues affecting the neighborhood as the Belle Harbor Property Owners Association (BHPOA) gathered for its return meeting at the Belle Harbor Yacht Club on Tuesday, September 15.
Recapping the June meeting, Jacqueline Tansey said, “We did a lot this summer.” She reminded folks that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) said they were going to put out a Request for Proposals for a contractor to build ADA ramps at Beach 131st, 135th, 142nd and 147th Streets. BHPOA President Paul King said this contract is also supposed to include the removal of the old wooden jetties, but they haven’t seen it yet. Ciara Donley of Councilwoman Ariola’s office said they plan on meeting with USACE soon since they weren’t able to meet this summer.
Tansey spoke about the Civic’s lawsuit against City of Yes and housing ballot proposals, reminding everyone that the initial cases were lost, but are being appealed. King added that both appeals were delayed. The charter ballot proposal case will be heard in October, and the City of Yes case in the spring. “We’ll keep up a good fight,” King said. Tansey also recapped summer efforts like the BHPOA’s garden contest and painting kits for hydrants and reminded everyone about Episcopal Health Services opening its new oncology department in the Walsh Pavilion before the summer. She said Councilwoman Ariola planned on holding the Office of Management and Budget accountable and had funds allocated for firehouse repairs. The NYC DOT had said they will repave Rockaway Beach Blvd. next year. Donley later added that repaving will be done curb to curb in the spring. Tansey also said streetlights are going to be replaced. For public safety, the NYPD said they were going to focus on the boardwalk, “which I think they actually did an excellent job of this summer,” Tansey said.
In his lightning round, King acknowledged how Rockaway commemorated the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and applauded the kids who planted flags around St. Francis de Sales for those who died. He also spoke of the BHPOA’s garden contest and a reception at Jamesons for the winners. “You guys do a great job of taking care of your homes,” he said. He mentioned the BHPOA’s sponsorship of local sports teams. As King is term limited as a Community Board 14 member, he encouraged Belle Harbor residents to apply when the opportunity to become a member opens so the neighborhood can continue to have representation. Lastly, he said due to El Niño, hurricane season has been tame, but it could make for a bad winter.
Ed Lynch reported on public safety, saying, “We went through this summer with little or no crime whatsoever. We had one event in the last couple of weeks.” Detective Victor Boamah of the 100th Precinct spoke about the incident where a group of teens was going around breaking into cars. They were arrested shortly after but were released as they’re juveniles. Captain Sachi Singh put additional patrols in the area and the activity has stopped. Lynch also acknowledged the U.S. Park Police Officer that was severely injured after being hit when approaching a group of men on dirt bikes in Fort Tilden. Lynch said USPP thinks they’re close to finding the suspects.
In his report, Det. Boamah said, “This summer, everything went well,” except for the two teen boys who drowned. He then took questions. Someone asked if synagogues will be covered during Yom Kippur on Monday, to which Boamah said yes. Another woman brought up concerns on Beach 116th St. with mentally ill people following residents or impeding traffic. Boamah said it is a complex, interagency issue, rather than something strictly crime related, so they’re limited on what they can do. Boamah reminded everyone that Councilwoman Ariola regularly held meetings with Beach 116th stakeholders and is trying to hold the nursing homes and SROs where many of these people live accountable. “We cannot force them to go in an ambulance,” Boamah said. “When it comes to 116th, it’s much bigger than the NYPD.” A neighbor advised the woman to call 911 whenever she feels unsafe on the block or to go to Transit District 23 to get help. Asked about the beat cop, Boamah said they did have one for the summer, but after the summer detail left, those officers had to return to other commands.
Carl Gray, a new constituent liaison for Senator James Sanders’ office introduced himself and supplied flyers regarding consumer credit, senior support and deed theft resources. Anyone with questions can call Gray at 718-523-3069, ext. 1103.
Mark Viola introduced Elizabeth Walsack, Rockaway administrator for NYC Parks, saying she stepped into the role in March 2025 and “the difference in her administration is that we have now gained an ear that listens and an administrator that is responsive. Anytime we’ve brought issues to Parks, Parks has listened.”
Walsack recapped the summer, saying it was extra long due to when Memorial Day and Labor Day fell, and very busy with America 250, World Cup and Knicks events, but they were able to handle the challenges. For trash management, Walsack said efforts improved with increased response after big holidays, and more garbage cans in Belle Harbor. MobiMats continue to be a challenge to maintain due to sand coverage, but maintenance efforts did become easier with the addition of a Dingo, or a ride-on skid steer, thanks to funding from Ariola’s office, and conversations are ongoing on how to better manage the mats. They also had additional electric equipment as part of a pilot, but Walsack admitted that the diesel equipment works better.
She said Parks is seeking additional gardeners for next year as they only have one in the district to cover dozens of parks. Seasonal staff is starting to dwindle, as they just lost 33 employees and will lose another 40. They have about 100 year-round staffers.
In questions, someone mentioned the Beach 147th dune is unmanageable to cross, and that dogs have been a problem on the beach. Walsack said dogs are not allowed on the beach through October 3. The woman asked if lifeguards are responsible for enforcing those rules. Walsack said only PEP is, and that if they call her number, she can send a PEP officer to the area. Another asked if anything can be done about a new weed producing tiny burrs that have been harming people. Walsack said she’d look into it. Another asked if signs can be placed on the beach so people know what block they’re on. Walsack said they’ve been purchased and will be installed after the winter. In a compliment, Sonny Meyer said, “I just want to thank you, because I’ve noticed a big difference this year over last year. “
Donley of Ariola’s office announced the Beach 116th Fall Festival on October 4 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. They’re also seeking 90-second audition tapes for a talent show planned for next year. Auditions can be submitted by October 14. Ariola recently hosted a hearing regarding the 911 system, as it was down for seven hours last week and the Mayor’s Office did not know, and did not notify affected agencies when notified. A similar incident happened in July. She will also participate in a hearing about ambulance response times on October 6, 10 a.m. at City Hall. On Wednesday, Ariola would be attending a hearing regarding NYPD crime stats being underreported.
In new business, there were reports of a neighbor dispute over garage construction, concerns about sinkholes, bike lanes and airplane noise. For sinkholes, Donley encouraged people to keep calling 311, providing an exact address and photos, and forwarding those 311 complaints to Ariola’s office for follow up.
