BY BOB HOLT

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

The Jet Star Roller Coaster that landed in the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy will not be a “tourist attraction” after all.

Seaside Heights Mayor Bill Akers said there were too many potential problems with leaving the roller coaster submerged in the Atlantic.

“Would the state Department of Environmental Protection allow it? Does it have to be anchored down properly?” Akers said, according to The Asbury Park Press. “And the Coast Guard would need to approve it.’’

Akers had told NBC New York last week that he was working with the Coast Guard to see if the roller coaster was stable enough to leave it there. But he received criticism for his idea, and said it “was not the brightest comment.”

Casino Pier officials are still assessing the damage done by Hurricane Sandy, according to nj1015.com. Expectations are that work on a new boardwalk will begin in January, and it will be finished by Memorial Day, the unofficial start of vacation season.

Akers called tourism the lifeblood of his town. Tourism makes up 75 percent of the budget, while the remaining 25 percent comes from property owners,’’ he said.

Examiner.com reported that the Jet Star had stood on the Casino Pier for 10 years. The owner of the pier expects another section to collapse from the water and waves in the aftermath of Sandy’s sheer force.