Makeshifts sign posted in the windows a Lindell Delicatessen & Grocery count the days the store has been without electricity, heat and hot water.
Hurricane Sandy’s floodwaters and raw sewage wreaked significant electrical damage at the deli and seven apartments above the store, at 577 W. Park Ave., causing the business an estimated $80,000 in damages and $2,000 in lost revenue each day the store remains closed.
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The co-owners, P.J. and Kevin Whelan, said that after they rid their building of the floodwater and soggy sheetrock, they’ve been waiting on others: the Long Island Power Authority said temporary power could be restored if an electrician installed a meter; the restoration company said they were waiting on LIPA to make needed repairs such as installing the meters at a higher elevation; and the landlord had to wait on insurance adjusters and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to inspect the damage, according to the Long Beach Herald.
Barry Minsky, owner of Night Restoration Corp., the company that working to restore the building, said they filed the job with LIPA and got the green light to do the work to get the store back up and running:
“LIPA had to come out because all of the service panels were underwater and they had corroded. Management is doing everything they can; this is not in their control. LIPA was the one who held them back and from the moment they got a hold of LIPA, we put our pedal to the metal to get it done. LIPA came out last Wednesday and authorized us to do a demo service to the building.”
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At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, a resident asked city officials about the bureaucratic red tape, such as work stop order, that have delayed homeowners from cleaning and rebuilding their storm-damaged homes. Scott Kemins, the city’s building commissioner, said that FEMA and city inspectors would soon collaborate to inspect homes, as part of the National Flood Insurance Program.
“If we don’t comply with this, or the residents don’t comply with FEMA, the city could possibly be suspended or be removed from the program, and nobody in Long Beach would be eligible for flood insurance,” Kemins said.
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