By Howard Koplowitz
The Department of Citywide Administrative Services told 18 homeowners on the Beach 84th Street pier in Far Rockaway that a public hearing and other steps would be taken before the city transfers ownership of the pier to them, state Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach) said Friday.
“It was the first time the homeowners had the opportunity to discuss this with DCAS,” Pheffer said of the Sept. 9 private meeting between the homeowners and the agency.
The 18 homes sit on top of a pier that juts out into Jamaica Bay in what is one of the most unique use of land in the city.
The homeowners own the houses, but the pier is owned by the city.
A bill sponsored by Pheffer and state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) was signed last month by Gov. David Paterson that paves the way for the homeowners to buy the pier but not before the city makes repairs to the dilapidated structure.
The city is investing $50,000 to repair the pier, which would be too costly for the homeowners to do themselves, Pheffer said.
She said the city also agreed to share an engineer's report about the pier with the homeowners.
The homeowners are in the process of hiring an attorney to negotiate the sale of the pier with the city.
The lawyer was expected to help the homeowners form a cooperative to deal with the city because it would be more practical to negotiate with one entity instead of the 18 individual homeowners, the assemblywoman said.
No timetable was set at the meeting for when an appraisal of the property would be conducted, Pheffer said, but she believed the price the homeowners would have to pay would be reasonable.
“It didn't seem like it would be unattainable,” she said.
Once the homeowners buy the pier, they will be responsible for its upkeep.
They would first have to go through a public hearing process before any negotiations could start.
Pheffer estimated it would take a year before the homeowners had ownership of the pier.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
