During Superstorm Sandy, low-lying areas like Canarsie, Red Hook and Midland Beach were among the worst hit but some neighborhoods escaped with the help of their local wetlands, which serve as a natural defense against storm surges. In the northwest corner of Staten Island some residents have been fighting to preserve their wetland site from an impending development sanctioned by City Council in 2017.

All but one Council member voted in favor of a retail project that would place a BJ’s store, gas station and a parking lot on top of several wetlands in the Mariners Harbor neighborhood.

By Avery Miles. Read the full article here.