By Madina Toure
Mom-and-pop marinas, yacht clubs and other businesses in College Point and Flushing are upset that a federally funded dredging program for the Flushing Creek and Bay does not extend to their properties.
The dredging of the navigation channel, known as the Federal Channel, which runs along the length of the Flushing Bay, started in October and will be completed by January.
Businesses such as the College Point Yacht Club, the Williamsburgh Yacht Club and Flushing Asphalt that have property near the Federal Channel, say that their waterways have been drowning in sediment and that they are not receiving relief.
Dredging would enable their boats to get in and out of the docks during low tide by deepening the bottom and raising the water level.
Ralph Schubert, yard master for the College Point Yacht Club, said the relief would make it easier for customers to use their boats.
“People could come and go when they wanted to and not depend on the tide as much,” Schubert said. “As far as the financial end of it, we could increase our revenue at the club.”
The process of dredging involves the removal of sediments and debris from the bottoms of lakes, rivers, harbors and other water bodies.
In September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a roughly $11.5 million contract to Donjon Marine Co. Inc. to perform maintenance dredging of the Flushing Bay and Creek.
The contract involves deepening the channel to about 15 feet and removing about 165,000 cubic yards of dredged material, which will be processed and disposed of in an upland location. The Donjon Marine dredge, which operates at night, has a big bucket on the end of its crane, which goes down in the water, pulls up the dirt and puts it into a barge, according to Robert Carballal, a Flushing Asphalt employee.
Carballal said Flushing Asphalt could benefit from dredge relief because it is currently unable to bring in on barges the crushed stones needed for the asphalt and unload them onto the dock at the edge of its property.
The company could reduce its truck traffic by 200 trucks per night if it was able to bring the stones in from the dock, he explained.
“You want to get the bottom (of the water) to be at a lower level,” Carballal said. “You want to bring the bottom down so that at low tide there’s 10 feet here and we can bring a barge in and it won’t be sitting on the bottom.”
Carballal said companies such as Tully Construction, Tilcon and the city Department of Transportation’s asphalt plant along College Point Boulevard will benefit from the dredging project because they are along the channel even though they did not formally request relief.
The DOT referred to the city Department of Environmental Protection, which could not be reached for comment.
Laura Imperiale, Tully’s director of government affairs, noted that any businesses along the Flushing River that would end up using the waterway for barging or other purposes would benefit because it would give them the option of using the waterways instead of trucks.
“Hopefully they’ll expand the program to benefit more businesses,” Imperiale said.
Geoff Thompson, Tilcon’s spokesman, said the other businesses have to negotiate with the Army Corps.
“We’re pleased that the dredging project will go forward,” Thompson said.
James Cervino, chairman of Community Board 7’s environmental committee, said the Army Corps was scheduled to give a presentation at a special CB 7 and College Point Civic & Taxpayers Association meeting Oct. 27. but did not show up, which disappointed the board.
“They’re (mom-and-pop marinas) choking from sediment and they’re getting zero relief,” Cervino said.
Hector Mosley, an Army Corps spokesman, attributed the absence to a scheduling conflict and said the Army Corps does not provide dredge relief to any specific entity.
“The flow of commerce is vital,” Mosley said. “Part of the Flushing Bay and Creek and maintenance dredging will provide safe access for marine boats and barges to navigate to the marine terminals.”
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtour
