Community Victory! Lawsuit By Staten Island Politicians Averted To Remove Martling Avenue Bridge Fence At Clove Lakes: Mayor Adams Overrides DOT

BP Fossella, Local Elected Officials to Announce Mayor Adams’ Decision To Override DOT and Order Removal of the Fence on Martling Avenue After Successful Community Pushback

Editor’s note: The fence, which was installed on what is arguably one of Staten Island’s most beautiful old bridges with a picturesque view of the water below, was installed with little notice, and many residents feel it is an eyesore covering what used to be a lovely spot. The bridge was built as part of the Martling dam in 1928-1929. This is close to the location where the Staten Islander News met with Assemblyman Sam Pirozzolo before his reelection earlier this year. BP Fossella also announced a reconstruction project for one of the ballfields at Clove Lakes Park. According to politicans during their press conference last week, Mayor Adams has overridden the DOT and ordered the fence removed.  

The following statement was provided by a City Hall Spokesperson:

The following release was issued about the press conference initially intended to announce the lawsuit prior to the decision by the mayor to order the removal of the fence:

Staten Island, NY – Borough President Vito Fossella and fellow local elected officials will announce plans to file a lawsuit against the City and the Department of Transportation to remove the recently-erected Martling Avenue Bridge fence at a press conference there on Friday, December 20th at 11:00 AM.

Last month, to echo concerns from residents and frequenters of Clove Lakes Park, Borough President Fossella led a rally calling for DOT to remove the fence it constructed surrounding the Martling Avenue Bridge. The fence in question appears unnecessary, as it does not sit over a navigable waterway and historically has not posed a safety risk to residents.

Aside from the disruption to the local quality of life that the fencing poses, the process of installing the fence may also be in violation of New York State DOT guidelines governing community input.

The Borough President has appealed directly to DOT and the City administration several times to advocate for the removal of the fence. To date, the Borough President and community have been rebuffed. In order to rectify the situation, the Borough President and his fellow elected officials will announce a plan to take legal action.

After the order, the press conference’s intention was changed to sharing the awesome news of victory for Staten Island residents:

Earlier today, Borough President Vito Fossella alongside our fellow Staten Island elected officials, announced that, following many discussions and meetings with City Hall, Mayor Eric Adams has agreed to overturn the DOT’s decision to keep the fence up.

This marks a significant victory for Staten Island, as the fence will finally be coming down and your voices were heard.

And later that day: 

🔔In Case You Missed It: Borough President Vito Fossella, joined by Staten Island’s elected officials and civic leaders, announced a major victory for the community! After hearing your voices, Mayor Eric Adams has agreed to overturn DOT’s decision and remove the Martling Avenue Bridge Fence. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, this fence will finally come down!

After the press conference announcing Mayor Adams order overriding the DOT, Asm. Fall had the following to say: 

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Proud to stand with Borough President Vito Fossella and my colleagues in government to announce that the unsightly Martling Avenue fence is coming down! A big thank you to the Borough President for leading this effort and to the community for making their voices heard. Hopefully, this will be a wonderful gift to the West Brighton community just in time for the holidays!

Image Credit: Press conference. Image Credit – BP Fossella