The following is a response from Norwalk Department Parks and Recreation Director Mike Mocciae to criticism from the Harbor Management Commission regard damage done to the Veterans Park Visitor’s Dock during Hurricane Sandy:
By Mike Mocciae
NORWALK, Conn. – We are waiting to get the docks in place before we can estimate the damage to the electrical and the pump station. The docks are in great shape and are concrete.
As indicated by the Master Plan, one of the priorities of the plan was to replace the ramps themselves. This year I will be putting $750,000 in the capital budget to replace the ramps, which may or may not include the concrete floats. The process for the launch ramps will be long due to the permit process, pre-studies, and the bid process. I suspect it would run out at least two years. Within those two years should I operate without the docks?
The city and the department is operating in the most prudent way to save the taxpayers additional dollars. Once the plans can be initiated then we can look at the whole picture.
The ramps and the visitors’ docks are under the direction of the Recreation and Parks Department, not the Harbor Commission.
The department is permitted to put everything back the way it was prior to the storm and that is what we are doing. If the city decides they want to fund the new launch ramp facility, which is certainly needed, we will go forward with it. One of the costs that we have so far is roughly $9,600 to remove the broken piles immediately after the storm, since it was a danger to boaters. Not much repair is needed to the 20-year concrete floats. We need new piles and a transition piece at this time and wait for closer inspection on the utilities.
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