The 6th CAC meeting on the Living Breakwaters and Tottenville Shoreline Protection Project was held on January 25th at PS6 in Staten Island.
More than 100 people attended the meeting, including CAC board members, interested members of the community, and many of our partner organizations. Each table featured elements of the project presenting the 30% design boards, models, and design documents. The tables were staffed by team members who were available to answer questions and concerns from the community.
The interactive elements, particularly the Virtual Reality (VR) station, provided a new perspective on the breakwater ecological design from an underwater view. The VR experience will not only be used as a method of communication to the public, but as a tool that will help inform the design of the project. Other interactive elements included an oyster demonstration tank from the Billion Oyster Project and a science exhibit by students from St. Clare’s Middle School.
The open house format allowed for direct dialogue between the design teams and the residents of Staten Island. These meetings are an important part of the design and decision-making process. We appreciate and thank the many people who attended the event and shared feedback and comments on the project!
The designs presented at the meeting will be included and analyzed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), which is scheduled to be published and available for public review next month. The publication of the DEIS will also mark the opening of the official public comment period, where written comments and questions will be received and written responses made publicly available. The public and the Tottenville community will be encouraged to submit their comments in writing as part of the environmental review process.
You can submit comments and questions to the team here.