One person’s fishing haven seems to be another’s waterfront den of ill repute.
Such appears to be the case along Canarsie Pier, where a divergence of opinion about what exactly is happening on the waterfront continues.
Effective May 23, new restrictions were imposed by Gateway National Recreation Area, which now closes the pier to vehicular access from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily. In addition, the pier is closed to everybody from 2 a.m. to 5 a.m. every day.
The changes are an effort to improve the “visitor experience” at the pier.
At the May 21 meeting of Community Board 18, Dorothy Turano, its district manager, said the board has in the past received complaints about “illicit” activities on the pier, including drugs and sex.
“Parks police and Gateway felt it was not safe and not becoming of a family pier,” she said. “They want families to utilize the pier.”
But Neal Duncan, the president of the United Canarsie South Civic Association, disagreed with Turano’s account.
“There have been no complaints about violence, or drug paraphernalia,” he said.
Assemblymember Alan Maisel agreed. He said the 69th Precinct confirmed this, saying there were no complaints that would warrant Gateway’s decision.
“My objection to what they’re doing is that they never made their case,” the state lawmaker said. “They are trying to reduce the level of maintenance they should provide.”
“As far as I’m concerned, this is bogus,” Maisel said.
At press time, Gateway did not return a call for comment.
In a statement, Gateway promised the pier will be better maintained.
The reason behind the new restrictions is to allow maintenance crews to clean the pier, and to “address community concerns that the pier is sometimes used by transients who sleep in their cars for days or even weeks,” Gateway said in a statement.
Additional maintenance workers will be hired, and use new “high tech” cleaning equipment to combat litter.
