Rockaway Beaches Open this weekend....

From: NY Daily News...

Rockaway beaches readying to open Saturday after $140 million effort to repair Sandy's destruction

'Making the beach inviting to residents and visitors will help revive Rockaway,' says Jonathan Gaska, district manager of Community Board 14. 'We’re hoping people come out to the beach.'

BY LISA L. COLANGELO / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

DEBBIE EGAN-CHIN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Work being done on Rockaway beach lifeguard stations to replace those destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.

The Rockaway Beach shoreline is turning shades of blue and chartreuse in preparation for Saturday’s unofficial kick-off of the summer season.

Superstorm Sandy dramatically altered the Rockaway landscape, stripping away miles of boardwalk and consuming tons of sand.

It’s taken $140 million and thousands of man-hours, and it’s going to require a lot more work to finish all that needs to be done along the seven-mile stretch of shoreline that’s managed by the city. Still, as of Monday, the beach’s busiest gathering spots were well on the way to being cleaned, secured and spruced up.

“Our goal for Friday is to have all the islands open and have access to the shore,” said Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski, who has spent most of the last few days on site as workers install new modular lifeguard quarters and bathrooms.

City contractors are working to install new boardwalk islands and breezeways, and they’re full of details designed to provide a haven for beachgoers, Lewandowski said.

A pathway speckled with tumbled blue and green glass leads visitors to the beach near 86th St. New silver-toned shaded structures provide relief from the sun. And recycled boardwalk wood has been fashioned into both a staircase and stadium seating leading to the sand.

The Robert Moses-era concession and bathroom stands at Beach 86th, 96th and 106th Sts. have been painted shades of beachy blue and tarty chartreuse. Artists will paint map-like grids of local streets around the sides of the buildings.

The popular concessions — which lured foodies from all over the city in recent years — will be back, operating out of carts or the stands as repairs continue, and a boardwalk island with modular restrooms is being installed at Beach 116th St.

The boxy pre-fab structures tower above the sand in an effort to meet future flood zone requirements. They’ll provide comfort to beach visitors, but some residents and officials are irked by their appearance.

We don’t like the looks of the lifeguard shacks and the new bathrooms,” said Jonathan Gaska, district manager of Community Board 14. “However, the areas around the buildings and the concessions are going to look really nice.”

Local activist Dan Brown said he is disappointed local residents didn’t have more input into the final designs and selection of modular buildings.

“They put up these things that look like trailers,” he said. “They cost $4 million a piece? I think we were ripped off.”

The agency has taken steps to include residents in the rebuilding, said Lewandowski, adding that many people who have stopped by the construction areas have been happy to note the improvements along the storm-ravaged beach.

“Making the beach inviting to residents and visitors will help revive Rockaway,” Gaska said. “We’re hoping people come out to the beach. Our merchants can use the help.”

City-operated beaches will be open for swimming beginning Saturday. Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information, call 311 or visit nyc.gov/parks