To the ongoing dismay of many locals, sections of the Coney Island Boardwalk, which was built beam by rainforest-wood beam in 1923, have been replaced over the years with a mixture of recycled plastic and concrete.
This week, in an effort to block any future Parks Department plans to replace weathered wood with brute plastic (concretewalk, anyone?), the City Council passed a resolution urging the Landmarks Preservation Committee (LPC) to impose scenic landmark status on the boardwalk.
"I did not anticipate this becoming such an issue with the administration, because many people thought [the boardwalk] was already a landmark," said Councilmember Mark Treyger, who sponsored today's resolution and has been opposing alterations to the boardwalk for years.
"My argument is bigger than concrete versus wood," he added. "This is a historic structure."
The Parks Department has long argued that the alternate materials are more storm-resistant and environmentally friendly than hardwood, and a Parks spokesperson emphasized today that Hurricane Sandy repairs were recently completed, and that no future alterations are planned.
"The Coney Island Boardwalk is complete and open to the public, and is stronger and more resilient than ever before," said Parks Spokeswoman Maeri Ferguson in a statement. "The city has a long-standing policy of reducing the use of tropical hardwoods. In fact, to reconstruct the entire boardwalk with tropical hardwoods would destroy 45,200 acres of tropical rainforest—the equivalent of roughly 34,000 football fields—and contribute to the very climate change that destroyed the boardwalk in the first place."
Local advocates have petitioned for alternative "sustainable domestic hardwoods" like Black Locust or White Oak on the surface of the deck, supported by recycled lumber.
"Basically what they've tried to do is hide behind a non-existent sustainability issue," said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Parks Advocates, who helped file a futile lawsuit against boardwalk alterations back in 2012.
"The concrete is chipping, and it gets hotter during the summer," he added. "Wood doesn't freeze in the winter time, and it's cooler during the summer because it allows air to pass through. Plastic is plastic. It gets slippery when it's wet, it doesn't have the same feeling or smell. It's not wood, you know?"
The LPC rejected Treyger's bid for landmark status last year, reportedly arguing that the two-mile stretch is already too altered from its original state to merit the designation.
This time around, it's worth noting that the City Council's vote is purely advisory. "I understand that the Park's Department advisement will weigh heavily on the LPC's decision," Treyger admitted, adding that he thinks the council vote "sent a very strong message."
The LPC could not immediately be reached for comment, but is reportedly reviewing its previous decision regarding landmark status. In the meantime, a beloved piece of Coney Island's history will set you back $7,200.
