Some Brooklyn Residents Furious Over City's Plan For Plastic Boardwalk

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- There wasn't much beach weather to be found on Thursday, but come the return of warmth and sunshine, some people may find themselves walking along a plastic boardwalk.

As CBS2's Dave Carlin reported, there is a plan afoot to replace many wooden planks.

Busted wood and gaps down to the sand threaten to trip up visitors to the historic boardwalk between Coney Island Avenue and Brighton 15th Street.

This month, the City Parks Department will begin a big fix, but they're doing it in a way that has many residents lashing out.

"It's a boardwalk. It's supposed to be wooden," Efisia Brody said.

The department plans to use concrete and recycled plastic lumber. Also included in the $10 million project is a 10-foot wide concrete carriage lane for emergency vehicles.

"You're changing a boardwalk for pedestrians and making a street out of it," one man said.

Some residents took the matter to court, claiming it robs Brooklyn of its history. They lost and filed an appeal.

Ida Sanoff, who has arthritis, said that it will create harder surface hardships for runners and walkers. She knows this because another section of the boardwalk closer to Coney island has a concrete base.

"You feel it, just as you walk you feel the difference in your legs. Think if you're jogging, there you go it feels different right?" she said.

Parks Department officials told CBS2's Carlin that the boardwalk will be durable and pleasing to the eye.

"We are able to maintain the look of a traditional boardwalk, provide a good surface for carriages, bicycles, and wheelchairs, while ensuring a much more sustainable and resilient outcome that will protect both the boardwalk and Coney Island residents and businesses," a Parks spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for the department said that the new material is more affordable, kinder to the environment and is in line with the de Blasio administration's policy of reducing the use of tropical hardwoods.

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