Coney Island Amphitheater Critics Hurting Markowitz's Feelings

All Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz wants to do is build a nice little $64 million concert hall in Coney Island's Asser Levy Park, but the local critics won't stop trying to undermine him. Opponents say that besides gobbling up precious park land, it would be so close to nearby synagogues that concerts couldn't be scheduled on Friday nights and Saturdays, because city law bans amplified sound within 500 feet of a place of worship during religious services. Also, they think it looks weird. Opposition leader Ida Sanoff tells the Daily News, "It's going to be like a spaceship plunked down in the middle of a park across from people's bedrooms." And all this negativity is really starting to get to Marty, who says the criticism's "hurtful because I don't deserve it. I've entertained the people in that neighborhood since 1991. I've put a smile on their face for 31 years. Why would I want them to frown?" The amphitheater's architect promises the state-of-the-art sound design would focus the sound toward the audience, not the neighbors, but naysayers like Sanoff remain unconvinced: "We don't need this. We have benches and walkways now." Construction's expected to start in the fall anyway.