City moves ahead with recovery effort

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“You’re talking about a significant process — I don’t know if we have a real estimate yet,” Schnirman said. “Right now there is a thorough assessment of the boardwalk that is under way, and we will have the Army Corps of Engineers at the table. It’s premature to say exactly what we’re going to see and when.”

The city expects to replenish its beaches, which suffered significant erosion, by next summer, he said. Referring to “Mount Sandy,” the five-story-high pile of sand removed from local streets that sits on the vacant Superblock property, Schnirman added, “That gets sifted, cleaned and, ultimately, after [state Department of Environmental Conservation] approval, will be put back on the beach.”

Plenty of other infrastructure is in need of repair, he said. “We’re happy that we have our water and sewer, thanks to the great efforts of our Public Works Department, and we know that, going forward, these facilities are going to need major repairs and upgrades in order to withstand future storms and be safe and reliable for our residents.”

Added LaCarrubba: “Think about all the buildings that used to stand on the beach that are gone. Our Rec Center took damage, our day care and senior center took damage; the MLK Center took damage, [along with] the water tower and all of the parks. Look at how many water main breaks we had after the storm. We’re going to have to look at major fixes.”

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