By Julianne Cuba 6/26/2021
Repost from StreetsBlogNYC
‘Locals say that federally mandated ramps and a boardwalk will spoil their little oasis.
One former Belle Harbor resident, who now lives in Seaside, told Streetsblog that he’s not surprised by the opposition to connecting the community with the rest of the peninsula.
“I am part of the LGBTQ community, and growing up in Belle Harbor was isolating. It’s pretty obvious to me, growing up over there, it’s very white, and secluded in a lot of ways,” said Matthew Horgan. “I always wondered why the boardwalk stopped on 126th street, and then began again at Riis Park. It became clearer to me that it was not an accident, but rather by design to keep the community isolated from the rest of the peninsula.”
Horgan, who writes his own blog, Sustain Everyone, which explores how marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by environmental burdens, said he supports the ramps and the boardwalk as “a small step toward more accessibility.”
See the full original post on StreetsBlogNYC here: https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2021/07/26/residents-of-rockaways-enclave-oppose-better-access-to-their-semi-private-public-beach/?fbclid=IwAR0oZditx7ylhczGZVCBzFeJwGVXwpru0_BHv479Pc2jMTbbFKcgsFNJwmo
Sustain Everyone 