Make Some Noise Coney Folks....For The Biggest 'Save Coney' Rally Ever!

It's the final Save Coney Island rally before the whole city council goes to vote to kill Coney Island as we've always known it. The subcommittee has already voted in favor of Mayor Bloomberg's plan without addressing its major flaw to shrink the open-air amusements to place large high-rise hotels within the same zone.....A MAJOR OXYMORON on the part of the city. They claim thousand of new jobs for the community which include hotel jobs in hotels that will not be filled with tourists to come and stay over for a stroll around a small strip of amusements.

The real intent of the city's plan is merely for big business at the expense of the people. The people who loved Coney Island for its beach sand and water, beach food, and beach fun and amusements. If you want a Miami Bay Side, or another South Street Seaport without the ships then you'll be happy with the Mayor's plan. If you love Coney for it's world-wide charm and want to have that charm revived, this plan, the way it stands is not what you want.

We urge you go act like true New Yorkers and get out there to the Brooklyn Borough Hall this Sunday and make a really big big noise.

Here's the info from the 'Save Coney Island' group:

RALLY TO SAVE CONEY ISLAND (SUNDAY, 7/26)

New York, N.Y. — Grassroots activist group Save Coney Island is holding a
MASS RALLY in the plaza in front of Brooklyn Borough Hall this Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. (7/26) urging the City to either FIX or KILL its badly flawed Coney Island rezoning plan.

The City Council is scheduled to vote this coming Wednesday on a plan that would permanently shrink Coney Island’s famed amusement district, create a wall of four huge high-rises — up to 27 stories tall — in its very heart,and encourage developers to tear down Coney Island’s historic buildings.

This rally is the LAST CHANCE for members of the public to make their voices heard on this awful rezoning plan.

WHAT: Rally to Save Coney Island
WHEN: Sunday July 26, 1 p.m.
WHERE: Columbus Park, by the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall

Last Chance To Save Coney Or Allow It To Be Killed

The City Council’s Land Use Committee has rescheduled their vote for this morning at 10:30 am at City Hall. Making this the last chance before the whole council votes on the Bloomberg plan for Coney Island, which carries with it a major flaw that outright disrespects the unique character of Coney Island along with a disrespect for its future.

Yesterday, spokesperson for the Save Coney Island coalition, Juan Rivero said, “The City Council has a historic opportunity to fix this flawed rezoning plan and head off disaster for Coney Island. New Yorkers from all parts of the city love and care about Coney Island. Each and every member of the City Council has a responsibility to preserve this iconic amusement attraction for their constituents and for future generations.”

The vote in favor of the Mayor’s plan will kill Coney Island as we’ve known it. Causing the amusements to become a commemorative sampling for its past that is surrounded by gentrification and every-where-else America. The hotels they claim will benefit the community will not. At least not the community their speaking about. It will only benefit the new community of luxury condo owners who will move into the 30 story towers in search of oceanfront living. Their next step will be to control the small amusement sector or even force its removal and after that comes the beach privatization. Regardless, what scenario takes place it will not happen for a few years until the economy recovers.

Download the New Save Coney Island Brochure here

Let us not let this doomsday scenario for Coney Island take place. Don’t let the spirit of Coney Island be swept ashore like its neighbor; the Rockaway’s amusement area did.

We urge to make your presence known at this morning’s city council vote. It is very easy. All you have to do is follow the simple effective steps brought to you by the Save Coney Island coalition.

Below is yesterdays ‘Save Coney Island’ press release:

Council Meeting on Coney Island Tomorrow (Tues.) PLEASE ATTEND! The City Council Zoning and Land Use Committees are scheduled to vote tomorrow, Tuesday 21st, on revisions to the Coney Island rezoning plan. I know this sounds like deja vu; but today, apparently, was just a dress rehearsal.

WE NEED YOU TO ATTEND AND MAKE OUR PRESENCE FELT!When: 10:30 amWhere: City Hall Chambers.PLEASE, GET THERE EARLY TO GET THROUGH SECURITY.

Bring a sign! The last time, they gave us a hard time about anything bigger than 8.5 x 11. You can download one no bigger than that here. (sample below) Or, if you have one of the 11 x 17 placards, you can fold it to get past security, and display it discreetly once inside.

The vote by the Land Use Committee is the last chance for the plan to be fixed. If council members choose to vote on the plan without significant amendments dealing with the amusement area, we will know that they ignored your calls and that they are indifferent to the destruction of the "People's Playground". The vote by the entire City Council is scheduled for July 29th.

Phone Calls Keep making phone calls! Call Quinn, Recchia, and your council member. Tell them that Coney Island amusements are a city-wide issue, and that the plan must be fixed. All the info you need to make a call is here. Call now!

Donations: If you would like to help our efforts but are not available to volunteer, you can make a small donation to our cause through our site. Contributions go toward printing, site-hosting and sundry expenses. Every little bit helps.

Council Meeting On Coney Island Tomorrow Morning

Word comes from the Save Coney Island folks on a Monday morning meeting at 9:30 am at 250 Broadway, 16th floor hearing room. But you need to arrive a bit early to get through security.

From 'Save Coney Island':

It is our understanding that this meeting will be happening, though there is a slight chance that the vote could be postponed at the last minute. (It has been postponed twice already.) But as of now, we expect the meeting to happen, and we need people to show up. The vote by the Land

The vote by the Land Use and Zoning committees is the last chance for the plan to be fixed. If council members choose to support the current plan without significant amendments dealing with the amusement area, we will know that they ignored your calls and that they are indifferent to the destruction of the “People’s Playground.” The vote by the entire City Council is scheduled for July 29th.

City Council Public Hearing July 1st, 2009

The New York City Council is set to vote on the Mayor's plan which carries a major flaw that could destroy Coney Island for what it has been all along its inception and evolution by allowing high-rises along surf avenue cutting off what is also another major flaw in the plan; a shrunken open-air amusement area to a non-resort-destination nine acres.

Please, join all who care about Coney Island's future and attend the public hearing at the NY City Council this July 1, 2009 at 10 a.m.!

The Save Coney Island organization serves up this further important information:

YOU MUST GET THERE EARLY TO GET THROUGH SECURITY, FIND A PLACE IN THE HEARING ROOM, AND SIGN UP TO SPEAK! Once inside, look for one
of our volunteers wearing "Save Coney Island" stickers. To offer testimony, you must sign up at the beginning of the hearing. You will typically be given no more than three minutes to express your view. We hope to see you all there. This could be our last public hearing; so let's make our participation count.

Public Hearing at City Council
Land-use Subcommittee Public Hearing
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
10:00 AM
at the Council Chambers
in City Hall
(between Broadway and Park Row)