Street hole gives Bath Beach that sinking feeling

A hole in the street is giving Bath Beach residents a sinking feeling.

Residents said they’re growing increasingly worried over the possible danger created by a sinkhole located on Shore Parkway near Bay 16^th Street outside Bath Beach Park.

Located next to a catch basin at the street curb, the sinkhole is approximately 12 inches in diameter and is about 18 inches deep.

“It’s huge. It’s deep and it’s dirty,” Bath Beach resident Phyllis Shapiro said. “When I first saw it, I said to myself, ‘Oh wow. That looks terrible.’”

Shapiro, who noticed the sinkhole last week, called the city’s 311 telephone hotline to report it. “I also called 911. I think it’s a dangerous situation. The hole is in the street right outside the park. Many kids go in and out of that park all day long. A little kid could fall in and get hurt,” she said.

Other residents expressed concern about the fact that the sinkhole is located at the curb. “An old person getting out of a car can step right into it and break a leg,” said one man. “Or a driver parking their car can hit it and ruin their tire.”

It’s important that the city repair the sinkhole as quickly as possible, Shapiro said. “It would be a shame if someone fell in and got hurt,” she said.

In the meantime, someone placed two bright orange traffic cones in the sinkhole to warn motorists and pedestrians to stay away.

Community Board 11 District Manager Marnee Elias-Pavia said on Monday that she would also report the sinkhole to 311.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the city agency responsible for repairing sinkholes.

DEP spokesperson Edward Timbers said the agency will address the situation. “A DEP crew will investigate and make the necessary repairs,” he told this newspaper via email on Monday.

The city was also busy at another Southwest Brooklyn location on Monday morning. A repair crew was filling in a huge hole located in the roadway on 13^th Avenue between Bay Ridge Parkway and 76^th Street in Dyker Heights.

That block has seen a number of cave-ins over the past several years, according to Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann. “There is a recurring situation with a depression in the roadway. What is being done today is a temporary solution. They’re filling in the hole,” she said.

CB 10 covers Dyker Heights and Bay Ridge, while CB 11 assists residents in Bath Beach and Bensonhurst.

Beckmann said CB 10 is advocating for a long-term solution. “We believe that a capital project is required,” she said, adding that the community board would like to see a trench restoration done at the 13^th Avenue site. Under a trench restoration, the city digs out the entire section of the roadway and then stabilizes the underground portion to prevent future cave-ins.

Beckmann recently met with Councilmember Justin Brannan and representatives from DEP and the Department of Transportation to discuss the next steps.