Event: Coney Island Creek Resilience Project Public Workshop #2

Date: Tuesday, August 18th, 2026

Location: Liberation Diploma Plus High School

Attendees: 75 total

Public Workshop Presentation: Download here.

Following our first public workshop on April 16, 2026, which helped identify a project site based on community priorities, we were pleased to host our second workshop at Liberation Diploma Plus High School on West 19th Street and Neptune Ave.

We have also been at lots of great community-hosted events this summer, talking to Coney Islanders about the project. Some signature events we’ve been to include:

In case you missed the first workshop, check out our recap of the meeting here: Coney Island Creek Resilience Project Public Workshop #1 Recap

The primary goal from this public workshop was to co-develop design concepts and parameters for the selected project site along 33rd Street and Bayview Avenue—which is a low-point along the Coney Island Creek shoreline. We have heard from countless members of the community that 33rd and Bayview Avenue is a portion of the shoreline that could improve waterfront access and connectivity between Kaiser Park and Coney Island Creek Park and be raised to protect a low-lying breach point from storm surge and tidal flooding risks. Moreover, this area along the shoreline provides opportunities to protect and improve the local ecology.

At the workshop, community members discussed desired amenities (e.g., seating, lighting, pathways, fishing piers, boat launches, etc.), changes to the road configurations, and opportunities for programming. To facilitate this conversation, we created 3D-printed models (see image below) to illustrate the current project site and potential interventions within the site—including a raised shoreline, additional open green space, and amenities.

The project team assembling components of the 3D-printed models, including green space, parking lanes, and bike lanes.

We extend heartfelt thanks to all attendees for their contributions as we discussed how best to balance flood mitigation, waterfront access, and ecology within this process. Together, we gathered valuable input to continue to help shape this community-informed vision for the future of Kaiser Park and Coney Island Creek Park.

This project operates in direct partnership with Coney Island Beautification Project, NYC DEP, and NYC Parks.  Thank you to our consultant team, Starr-Whitehouse, WSP and SCAPE, for facilitating this discussion.

Meeting Purpose/Agenda:

• Welcome + Project Context Recap Presentation
  • Goal: Establish shared understanding of project scope and goals, including feedback shared through previous community stakeholder discussions.
• Design Concepts
  • Goal: Discuss reasoning behind selection of site at 33rd Street and Bayview Avenue (e.g. addressing coastal flooding and future tidal flooding breach point, improve waterfront access and safety, additional flood protection for community, etc.)
• Small Group Discussions
  • Goal: Using a 3D-pinted model of the project site to discuss community priorities in site redesign and discussion about amenities (e.g., seating, lighting, pathways, fishing piers, boat launches, etc.)
• Small Group Discussion Report Backs and Next Steps

Community Priorities

This feedback centered around priorities that community members would like to see, however their inclusion in the final design cannot be guaranteed.

• Park Identity: Educational signage (with attention to the park’s history), improved wayfinding, additional public art would create a stronger park identity and improve both access and community connection.
• Safety: Lighting (improved visibility with attention to impacts on mosquitoes and wildlife), reducing road width to make space for softer shoreline while reducing speeding along Bayview Avenue.
• Amenities: Enhanced views, benches, water fountains, shade (e.g. trees, gazebo, etc.), lighting, and designated barbecue areas were discussed (with attention to fire safety). Participants supported the idea of benches but suggested designs that discourage people from sleeping on them.
• Flooding: Regular flooding along Bayview Avenue, Neptune Avenue, Mermaid Avenue, Coney Island Avenue, and near Bayview Gardens, including flooding that occurs during high tides and after Desire to make every element capable of alleviating flooding (berm to absorb water, permeable pavement in the bike lane, bioswales and other green infrastructure on the roadway, etc.)
• Biking: Strong support for a protected bike lane, particularly if it were permeable and connected to existing bike infrastructure. Young people are interested in biking to the parks, but it’s currently not safe to do so.
• Parking: Preserving two lanes of parking in a redesign of the road is important, however the wide median (which provides some informal parking) will need to be removed to create space for the flood resilience design. Participants encouraged the exploration of angled parking to increase the number of spots available
• Recreation: Desire for fishing, human-powered boating (e.g. kayaks), and formalized beach use. Interest in a dog park, “sponge park”/green infrastructure along Kaiser Park’s edge, space for sunbathing, and additional/revamped handball and basketball courts.
• Berm and Green infrastructure: Bioswales and rain gardens along Neptune and Bayview Avenues, increased native plantings in Coney Island Creek Park, nature-based flood protection in project site (soft shoreline, not just riprap).
• Youth Programming: Intentional development of the space must consider youth engagement, aim to increase youth connections to the park, and provide both recreational and educational opportunities for local youth.

Community Concerns:

These concerns are both specific to the scope of the project and more general points of concern within Coney Island.

• Sand Migration: Additional and continued sand management, impact on outfalls and drainage. Discover the source of the sand issue, breadth of the issue, and a potential solution to both its migration and the maintenance of the public spaces affected by its movement.
• Biking: Concerns whether it would serve Coney Island residents or primarily people from other areas biking through the neighborhood.
• Maintenance: It is important to develop an ongoing maintenance and stewardship plan for this space, with attention to sand migration, litter/dumping, and ecological stewardship. Engage local groups already active in stewardship and developing a coalition akin to “Neighborhood Support Team,” a model used in the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice’s (MOCEJ) Climate Strong Communities program.
• Accessibility: Improve ADA accessibility of the space by integrating it into the design (e.g. ramps to the waterfront) and increasing park access through additional pedestrian street crossings.
• Water Quality: Concerns over dumping of oils and other materials in the creek (e.g. car parts, bikes, etc.), and litter due to lack of trash cans and maintenance worsening water quality and the sandy shoreline.
• Community Engagement: Continue engagement with community members to address how new developments will impact this intervention and make sure that this intervention protects surrounding developments as the project advances.
• Amenities: Concern that additional bathrooms might attract alternate use of the space and would require additional maintenance with the Kaiser Park bathrooms nearby.
• Parking: Loss of informal parking in the median will put a strain on car users. Trying to maintain as much parking as possible remains a priority and a safety issue, especially during large community events.

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