Long Beach considering dock proposal

A Freeport-based company is looking to install a floating dock along Reynolds Channel, by the Recreation Center, and establish seasonal water taxi service to Freeport, Island Park, Point Lookout and other areas as well as recreational activities ranging from sunset cruises to kayaking tours.

The city is considering plans for such services, and issued requests for proposals. Freeport resident Patrick Nugent, president of Sunset Bay Adventures and Watersports, and Long Beach resident Brian Braddish, the company’s vice president, submitted the only bid last month. Nugent said that Sunset Bay is looking to install a 10-foot by 300-foot dock about 400 feet east of the existing pier, parallel to the bulkheads by the Rec Center, at West Bay Drive and Magnolia Boulevard.

Nugent added that his company would cover the entire cost of the project, estimated at $500,000. The dock would allow for the operation of two 40-foot water taxis that would ferry passengers to destinations such as the Nautical Mile, Pop’s Seafood Shack & Grill, Bridgeview, and Buoy Bar.

“Long Beach has nothing like that right now — there’s a water taxi that runs to Point Lookout from Freeport, but they don’t do steady pickup times, and it’s a very hit-and-miss thing,” Nugent said, adding that Sunset Bay intends to partner with Fire Island Water Taxi to operate the boats. “There are a lot of pros to it. There’s no parking [in Long Beach], especially for beach access. So, realistically, someone can take a water taxi from Freeport or Island Park and get dropped off in Long Beach and make their way to the beach.”

Sunset Bay is looking to establish sunset cruises, historic bay house and seal-watching tours as well as paddleboard and kayak rentals and tours, among other activities. The dock would also accommodate charter boats for weddings and other events, as well as two Long Beach police and Fire Department emergency rescue vessels. It could also potentially include slips to allow residents to dock their boats for a fee.

City gathering public feedback

The city is in the process of gathering public feedback on the proposal after a survey was recently launched through the Long Beach Listens website. Early results show positive feedback for the plan, the city said. The project — which, in the RFP, currently calls for a five-year contract and a 10-by-100-foot structure — would require approval by the City Council, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the Town of Hempstead.

“The City of Long Beach sought feedback from residents on a proposal made to the city to both furnish and install a floating dock, and operate seasonal water services adjacent to the city’s Recreation Complex,” the city said in a statement. “The primary purpose is to provide city residents and their visitors with services that will build upon the identity of the City of Long Beach and encourage residents and visitors to utilize the many amenities available in the city — in this case, the bayfront.”

According to the RFP, the city views services along the bay as part of its overall economic development effort, and the city has said that it is looking at long-term plans to develop the bayfront’s industrial area.

“More access to our waterways can only bring positive growth to Long Beach, and the bay is such a beautiful part of our city that I don’t think is utilized as much as it could be,” said Cliff Skudin, co-owner of Skudin Surf, which offers paddleboard tours along the bay. Access to the bay has been limited, he added. “Having easier access to the bays would definitely open up more opportunities for more people to see how beautiful our bays are,” Skudin said. “Every time I’ve done a tour on a paddleboard, you always get such a positive reaction.”

Two RFPs, one response

People with knowledge of the proposal said that Braddish — the son of Kevin Braddish, a former Long Beach Democratic Committee chairman and City Council president — approached the city with the idea last year, and that the city subsequently issued a request for proposals that March.* This year, it issued a second, broader RFP in April to solicit more responses from qualified vendors. Sunset Bay was the only company that responded to both RFPs.

The city had intended to expedite the project so that it could be completed in time for the summer season, according to the RFP, but it appeared unlikely that the proposal would be put before the council anytime soon, after some council members raised concerns about the scope of the project, the financial benefits to the city, hours of operation, parking, garbage and other issues.

“It was supposed to go to a resolution, but people had more questions, and the city launched the survey,” said one person who is familiar with the proposal but declined to be identified. “The scope of the work has also changed a few times. If it goes to a public hearing and a vote, I’d expect Braddish and his partners to discuss what they intend to do.”

If the project is approved, the city would allow Sunset Bay to rent the Rec Center’s outdoor gazebo for ticket sales and restrooms for its patrons and staff. Sunset Bay is looking to enter into a 10-year contract with the city, Nugent said, and had proposed paying the city an annual fee of $2,500 over the first five years, though Nugent said that the company has since offered to pay the city more.

Nugent, however, emphasized that such details would have to be worked out, and that the scope of the project could change. “There were some concerns about the first RFP,” he said. “But we responded to everything fairly and in the way you’re supposed to respond to it. I’m very optimistic. If I had my way, we’d be halfway through building the project already, and we’re doing everything we can on our end to answer all of the city’s concerns. We’re not looking to run some rowdy operation down there.”

Residents concerned about noise, drinking

Word of the dock proposal has raised concerns among residents of nearby West Bay Drive and other areas about noise, traffic, parking, alcohol use and rumors of “booze cruises.”

“That’s not what we need in the Channel there,” said resident Scott Bochner, who sits on the city’s Environmental Advisory Board. “If they want to put slips in there and a marina, that’s fine. But we don’t need a party boat going back and forth, and people drinking and driving down where people live.”

Former City Councilman John McLaughlin, who lives on West Bay Drive, voiced similar sentiments.

"If we’re sitting out here on a regular night, we can hear everything at Pop’s,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t see the rationale in doing it right at the Rec Center — it’s made for public use, it’s not made for a private entity to put a 300-foot dock near a children’s playground, which, no matter what they say, will involve alcohol and impact the environment. We have a whole lot of undeveloped land between the Long Beach Bridge and LIRR trestle that could be used.”

Braddish is the former owner of the Tiki Bar in the West End, which closed in 2010 after its liquor license was revoked by the New York State Liquor Authority for failing to pay a $10,000 fine for serving alcohol to minors, which also sparked some concerns among residents.

“We would have concerns about someone whose bar was closed down because of multiple citations by the SLA for underage sales,” said Judi Vining, executive director of Long Beach Aware, an organization dedicated to preventing underage drinking. “We have concerns about the rumors that booze cruises would empty near a children’s playground. We are in favor of developing the bayfront, but we would want to make sure we can guarantee that it’s a healthy environment for kids.”

But Nugent said that Sunset Bay is not interested in running booze cruises, and that the goal is to establish “family-friendly” recreational activities. He also said that hours of operation have yet to be determined. The company’s proposal stated that a dock and water taxis would not negatively impact the community, and the service itself would encourage residents to leave their cars at home.

“We’re not looking to serve alcohol,” Nugent said. “If we take people from Long Beach to Island Park or to Freeport, are there going to be some people there who have been drinking? Realistically, yeah, but we’d do everything in our power to work with the city and taxi companies down there … and [the service] would eliminate a lot of drinking and driving, and it is a green service.”

He also said that Braddish — a lifelong Long Beach resident who previously operated a successful personal watercraft and kayak business, and now runs ice cream vending services on the boardwalk and the new Riptide concession on Edwards Boulevard — regularly gives back to the community. He also organizes the Sunset Celebration festivals along the bay.

“He donates to the MLK Center and numerous kids’ functions,” Nugent said of Braddish. Then, referring to Braddish’s history with the Tiki Bar, he added, “and for someone to bring something like that up, which happened nearly a decade ago, is ridiculous in my mind.”

*The print edition of this story incorrectly stated that the dock proposal was initially made to the city earlier this year and that the first RFP was subsequently issued this past March. The proposal was made last year and the first RFP was issued in March 2015. We regret the error.