NJ Lawmaker: Yacht Owners Should Not Be Free To Anchor In Front Of Lady Liberty

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Yachts are harboring resentment in the waters around the Statue of Liberty, over the last few months, the oversized boats have been blocking the view.

Lady Liberty is among the most famous landmarks in the world. Recently, people have been anchoring their huge yachts around her, obstructing the view sometimes for months.

"Being one of the landmarks you really don't want anyone obstructing your view when you want to see something like the Statue of Liberty, so I think it's terrible," Anthony Rivera said.

"If there are no sanctions against where to park a yacht, then you can't really come down on the yacht owners," Christopher Townsend said.

State Senator Richard Codey is fighting to ban luxury yachts from long-term stops in front of the Statue of Liberty.

"A great symbol for our country, and to see rich people take advantage, not doing the right thing, it's a shame," he said.

Codey said it's not just about the view.

"Not only are they blocking the view, they are not paying docking fees, saving them $150,000 for a couple of months," he said.

On Thursday, Mayor de Blasio tweeted, "Senator Codey is right. Millionaires and billionaires shouldn't be allowed to put a velvet rope around Lady Liberty."

A Coast Guard spokesman told CBS2's Cindy Hsu, the bottom line is that the yacht owners aren't doing anything illegal as long as they stay at least 150 feet away from the Statue of Liberty.

Codey is presenting a resolution on Friday, and hopes the yachts will be banned sometime in the fall.