Fire fears over new Sheepshead Bay condos

New condos being built in Sheepshead Bay and Plumb Beach may be facing a burning issue. The bay is too shallow to allow fireboats to get close to the shore, limiting the Fire Department’s ability to douse flames on high-rises, according to an Fire Department letter.

In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the dredging of coastal areas, clarified at a hearing last week that it is not responsible for maintaining Sheepshead Bay.

Residents and elected officials of the booming waterfront community are worried they are being left in a bureaucratic no-man’s land.

“No one has an answer to what happens if something happens in the bay,” said Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay). “This is a dangerous situation.”

Extending the Army Corps’ jurisdiction into Sheepshead Bay is a process that could take up to 10 years, said John Tavolaro, chief of the operations support branch of the federal agency.

Currently, the Army Corps’ jurisdiction ends at the mouth of the inlet near Kingborough Community College, he noted.

The U.S. Coast Guard can assist during an emergency, such as a fire, but it lacks the seafaring firefighting equipment that the Fire Department has, said Coast Guard Lt. Commander Mike McBrady.

Residents said the interagency hand-washing is putting them in jeopardy.

“They are going to wait for something to happen … before something is done,” said Gene Berardelli, 28, a life-long resident of Sheepshead Bay.

Kathy Flynn, president of the Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association, recalled a disastrous fire that engulfed a building for hours in January 2004, and she fears that it will happen again.

“These condos will be susceptible to burn,” she said. “We are not against development, but we want to preserve the character of a fishing village.”

Others are concerned that their new neighbors don’t know what they may be in store for.

“God forbid something happens to one of those buildings,” Berardelli said. “People pour their life savings into these condos, and their safety is not guaranteed.”

BY DENISE ROMANO
DAILY NEWS WRITER

DAILY NEWS

Originally published on January 25, 2007