Executive Summary

Rising sea levels, increasing temperatures and precipitation, and the likelihood of more frequent and intense storms threaten New York City’s neighborhoods and infrastructure while exacerbating social inequity. Edgemere’s severe damage from Hurricane Sandy, coupled with the City’s ownership of a significant amount of vacant land, created an opportunity to pair the City’s recovery efforts with a long term vision for a higher quality of life for Edgemere residents.

With this in mind, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) launched the Resilient Edgemere Community Planning Initiative in October 2015 as a collaboration between City agencies, community members, elected officials, and local organizations. Moving from comprehensive planning towards implementation, the Resilient Edgemere Community Plan lays out clearly defined goals, strategies, and 60 concrete projects, representing millions of dollars in planned investment over the next 10 years and beyond.

Project Highlights

ATTACHED HOMES ACRES elevated so all habitable space is of city-owned lots proposed as mixed- above flood risk, totaling 107 units, use development that will provide retail, 41 51 units that are affordable 05 community facilities, and affordable housing M ACRES for a Raised Shoreline, an elevated of land in Edgemere’s most vulnerable berm that will protect Edgemere areas be dedicated for use as open space $14 against 30 inches of sea level rise 16 that will provide coastal protection ACRES Min improvements to Beach 41st St. of improvements to Bayswater Park, Houses & Beach 41st St. Cornerstone including park access improvements $68 Community Center 26 along Beach 35th Street Process Vision

This plan demonstrates that engaging local residents can result in thoughtful solutions to complex challenges; and, at its best, serves as a model for how communities can collaboratively build a shared vision for a resilient future.

Through a four-phase planning process over the course of a year, including workshops, open houses, small group meetings, and questionnaires, the resulting plan lays out a comprehensive, long-term vision for investments in resiliency, transportation, economic development and quality of life improvements in Edgemere. By crafting a clear long-term community development framework, this plan seeks to meaningfully address challenges experienced in daily life in Edgemere.

Jamaica Bay NYCHA Beach 41st 1. Learn 3. Finalize Street Houses October - December 2015 May 2016 - February 2017 Bayswater Park Two public workshops were held HPD and its partner agencies in October and December 2015. turned the draft strategies into HPD and partnering City agencies concrete strategies and projects. worked with the Edgemere The strategies and projects community to define goals, include programs, like vacant lot priorities, and guiding principles clean-ups, and physical projects, for the neighborhood’s future. such as the construction of a coastal protection feature.

2. Create 4. Implement January - April 2016 Starting March 2017 HPD and its partner agencies Starting in March 2017 HPD and refined the guiding principles partner agencies will implement into goals and a set of draft the community plan. The strategies. In April 2016, Edgemere community will need to Beach 36th Street HPD held open houses for play an active, engaged role over Station the Edgemere community to the next several years to ensure provide feedback and further the successful implementation of shape the draft strategies. the community plan.

Goals and Strategies

1. Protect the Neighborhood from Flooding 2. Create Resilient Housing and Maintain Low 3. Improve Streets and Transportation 4. Increase Neighborhood Amenities Density Feel

Edgemere is a vulnerable waterfront community where Many still live in Sandy-damaged homes and the area’s Commuting around and off of the peninsula is a burden due Residents mostly shop outside of the Neighborhood residents have limited access to the bay and beach. housing market has not fully recovered from the Recession. to the slow, unreliable, and infrequent transit service. because limited retail and basic amenities exist.

Strengthen the Adapt to Increased Strengthen Limit New Residential Improve Pedestrian Improve Transit Expand Access to Improve Existing Coastal Edge Flood Risk Resiliency of Development in and Bicycle Access Service and Reliability Quality Retail Facilities and Services Existing Homes Vulnerable Areas

Create Waterfront Improve Drainage and Fill in the Gaps Focus Development Improve Regional Connect Jobseekers Create a Healthier Connections Water Quality Near Transit and Access to Resources and Neighborhood Resources Trainings

Improve Communications between NYC Officials and Residents How to use this plan

Starting in the spring of 2017, the City will begin implementing the Resilient Edgemere Community Plan. Some projects are funded and ready to be implemented soon, while other projects will need to go through a public approval process or will need outside funding and will be implemented over a longer period. Throughout the implementation phase, the City will continue to engage the Edgemere community.

To ensure the successful implementation of this plan, members of the Edgemere community should view this as a living document to guide public participation and partnership with the City and use it to guide and to advocate for neighborhood improvements. The plan is intended to be a resource that will help Edgemere residents to take a leading role in the development of their neighborhood.

“Did you know” “Edgemere Community Groups”

These call outs contain links to City resources This includes profiles of organizations active that residents can access at any time. These are in Edgemere. Each profile consists of a categorized within the specific chapters and often short summary of the group’s mission and connect City resources to the specific strategies services to increase awareness of existing local and spotlighted projects. The Resilient Edgemere opportunities for civic engagement. website will include additional resources.

“Get Involved” “Implementation Matrix”

This includes suggestions on how residents can A list of all projects which includes the responsible help implement the plan, as well as how to hold City City agency, funding status, and expected agencies and elected officials accountable. timeline for each project.

Edgemere Study Area

Edgemere is a low-lying waterfront community located in the Rockaways. The Edgemere Study Area is defined Bronx by Jamaica Bay to the north, Edgemere Avenue to the south, Beach 51st Street to the west, and Beach 35th

Manhattan Street to the East. Additionally, Edgemere is in an active Urban Renewal Area, created in 1997, which gives the Queens City some levers over the physical environment. In

Edgemere general, the City uses its Urban Renewal Authority to Brooklyn Study Area acquire property in order to develop housing, parks, or Staten other uses consistent with the Urban Renewal Plan that Island outlines improvements to an area.

The Resilient Edgemere Community Plan was released in Department o March 2017, and is now available at: www.nyc.gov/edgemere Housing Preservation Development