Request for a Full Ban on Barbecuing at Manhattan Beach Park, Brooklyn, NY

Summary

• Manhattan Beach Park is the only residentially-adjacent beach park in NYC that still allows barbecuing, posing proven public health risks and environmental hazards. The rare exception represents an arbitrary and unequal application of Parks Department standards.
• Parks Department public mission statement of providing a safe and healthy environment is in violation by continuing the designated barbecue exception at Manhattan Beach.
• Other NYC parks in similar residential settings (e.g., Hudson River Park, Battery Park City parks, Central Park) prohibit grilling entirely.
• We request immediate removal of Manhattan Beach Park’s barbecue designation to protect community health, ensure regulatory consistency, and uphold NYC Parks’ stated mission.

Background

Manhattan Beach Park is a cherished public space, bordered on every side by family homes and quiet residential streets. Yet—unlike most NYC beaches—the park still permits charcoal grilling in a cluster of barbecue pits, only a few yards from playgrounds, backyards and recreation spaces.

For more than a decade, residents, civic groups, and Community Board 15 have consistently urged the City to eliminate barbecuing in this location. The concern is consistent and clear: the heavy smoke, toxic fumes, and safety hazards generated by clustered grilling directly impact public spaces, nearby homes and families.

Purpose of This Petition

We, the undersigned residents of Manhattan Beach and concerned citizens of New York City, respectfully petition the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation (NYC Parks), Brooklyn Community Board 15, and our elected officials to immediately remove Manhattan Beach Park from the list of designated barbecue locations and to prohibit all charcoal grills, open flames, barbecuing equipment and barbecue activity within park boundaries.

Why a Full Ban Is Necessary

1. Public Health – Charcoal smoke contains fine particulate matter (PM2.5), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and other toxins proven to worsen asthma, elevate cardiovascular risk, and increase long‑term cancer incidence. With 10-20 grills operating simultaneously, smoke pollution reaches dangerous levels comparable to heavy vehicle emissions, directly impacting children, elderly residents, and beach visitors. Beachgoers, children in the playground, and surrounding residents are forced to inhale this smoke—even inside their own homes.
2. Environmental Integrity & Safety – Barbecues generate grease, food waste, and hot coals that are too often discarded in ordinary trash bins or on the sand, attracting vermin, threatening wildlife, and posing fire hazards. Eliminating barbecuing will immediately reduce litter, lower maintenance costs, and make the beach safer for all visitors.
3. According to NYC Parks Rules §1-05, open fires and barbecuing are only allowed in locations explicitly approved by the department. However, such designations must align with the Parks Department’s public mission: “To provide safe, clean, and accessible parks and recreational opportunities to all New Yorkers.” Allowing barbecuing in a dense residential neighborhood directly contradicts this mission. Furthermore, Manhattan Beach is the only beach park in NYC adjacent to a residential community that still permits grilling. This exception represents a clear deviation from how similar parks are regulated. Most waterfront parks in dense neighborhoods—Battery Park City, Hudson River Park, and the vast majority of Manhattan green spaces—prohibit barbecuing entirely. Manhattan Beach is a historical outlier; the same protective standard should apply here. 

Violation of Parks Department Standards

1. NYC Parks’  own regulations (Rules §1-05) explicitly require consideration of health and safety when designating barbecue areas where it does not pose a thread to public health or safety. The continuation of grilling at Manhattan Beach violates these standards.
2. Manhattan Beach Park is among the only residential-adjacent beach parks in NYC allowing barbecuing, creating an arbitrary and unequal application of citywide standards. Parks must consistently protect public health and apply regulations equitably across all neighborhoods.
3. When a designated barbecue area compromises public health, it must be reconsidered under existing regulations. 

Precedents in NYC Parks: Barbecue Bans and Restrictions
 

Eliminating barbecuing at Manhattan Beach would not be an unprecedented move; numerous NYC parks and beaches already prohibit grilling entirely due to health, safety, and environmental considerations. The NYC Parks Department’s own regulations recognize that open fires must be tightly controlled. According to Park Rules §1-05, “No person shall kindle, build, maintain, or use a fire in any place… except in places provided by the Department and so designated by sign or by special permit.” In other words, the default rule is no open fires or grilling in any park, unless a specific exception has been made. Manhattan Beach Park currently has such an exception – and we simply ask that it be removed, as allowed by law. In fact, official NYC Parks guidance explicitly notes that “barbecuing on beaches is not authorized” under typical circumstances. Manhattan Beach is arguably a rare exception where beach barbecuing was allowed, and it is an exception that should now be rectified in line with citywide best practices.

Looking citywide, most parks in residential or densely populated areas do not allow barbecuing, and these policies have been effective and well-accepted. For example:

• Battery Park City – the network of parks in Battery Park City, Manhattan (another waterfront residential community), completely forbids any BBQ or open flames. The Battery Park City Authority’s event guidelines explicitly state “No BBQ/Grilling on-site or live fires” in any of their parks . This ban is in place to protect public safety and air quality for the many residents living adjacent to those parks, and it works: those parks remain clean, smoke-free, and family-friendly without grills.
• Hudson River Park – this large public park spanning Manhattan’s west side also prohibits barbecuing entirely. Hudson River Park’s rules plainly state: “Barbecuing is not permitted in the Park.” Despite hosting thousands of visitors daily, Hudson River Park manages to provide recreation space without any grills. Instead, visitors enjoy the lawns and picnic areas with pre-made food. This precedent shows that popular waterfront parks can thrive without barbecues, avoiding both the litter and the pollution that grilling brings.
• Central Park & Other Manhattan Parks – Central Park, the city’s flagship park, only allows grilling on a few specific days of the year (such as certain summer holidays), and it is otherwise barbecue-free. Many smaller Manhattan parks have no grilling zones at all, again due to fire safety and consideration of nearby communities. This norm in Manhattan highlights that urban parks in high-density areas are generally expected to be grill-free– a standard that should logically apply to Manhattan Beach Park given the dense residential area surrounding it.

Our Petition Request
 

In light of the evidence and precedents detailed above, we hereby urge the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Community Board 15, our City Council representatives, and all relevant decision-makers to institute a full and permanent ban on barbecuing at Manhattan Beach Park. Specifically, we request that:

• All existing barbecue grills and designated grilling areas in Manhattan Beach Park be removed, and clear signage be posted stating “No Barbecuing or Open Fires – By Order of NYC Parks.” This will leave no ambiguity that grilling is no longer allowed, just as is the case in many other NYC parks and in line with Park Department regulations.
• Officially classify Manhattan Beach Park as a barbecue-free zone under NYC Parks’ rules.
• Parks Enforcement Patrol and NYPD be directed to enforce the no-barbecuing rule, especially during summer weekends. Residents frequently call 311 to report illegal barbecuing in other parks ; with Manhattan Beach officially off the designated BBQ list, any grilling there would be clearly unlawful and subject to enforcement. 

In conclusion, we believe the case for removing barbecuing from Manhattan Beach Park is clear, compelling, and supported by both science and precedent. Other major parks (Battery Park City, Hudson River Park, etc.) thrive without grills , and our local community has for years pleaded for this change on the grounds of health and safety. Now is the time for the NYC Parks Department to listen and act. We respectfully ask that you prioritize the health of Brooklyn residents and the quality of our public spaces by enacting this full BBQ ban immediately.

Our community deserves clean air, safe recreation, and consistent treatment under NYC Parks regulations.

Our community cherishes Manhattan Beach Park as a place to swim, play, and breathe fresh ocean air. Allowing dozens of charcoal fires to burn feet from our doorsteps is incompatible with that vision. Let’s make Manhattan Beach a clean-air beach. No smoke. No fumes. Just fresh ocean air for everyone. By signing below, we affirm our support for this petition and our hope that our elected and appointed officials will move swiftly to protect our community and environment. Thank you for your attention to this critical quality-of-life issue.

signed by concerned residents of Manhattan Beach and neighboring communities…