Editor, Asbury Park Sun,
When Asbury Park’s last open space natural resource north beach area, Bradley Cove, is viewed solely as a source of profit and gain, there are serious consequences to our earth and peoples. This vision engenders immense economic inequality, injustices and can provoke acts of violence against the majority of humanity and our natural environments.
Some of this resource has ended up in the hands of redeveloper, iStar, whose first motive is to make a profit for its shareholders. This reasoning displaces the ideals of harmony, balanced distribution of community wealth, and needed rest, peace and restoration for the natural world, and for most of the people who use, appreciate, and enjoy this area.
iStar can give proof of their ability to do something for the good of Asbury Park and its environment by giving this land back to the city of Asbury Park. The beneficial and generous consequence of this act is to be able to create an oceanfront park to preserve this last natural resource area in Asbury Park for future generations.
To approve new development so close to our ocean, public beach, lands and lake is a denial of the now proven concerns of climate change, threats of rising seas, more frequent, devastating storms, and further pollution to our waterways, ocean and land. If new oceanfront development is not allowed, the City could eliminate the costs of future clean-ups, the over burdening of our wastewater and storm water systems, and building and property damage.
The economic, ecological, health and community benefit far outweigh any tax revenue and profit generated by any new development at this location by waterfront redeveloper iStar. We are challenged to stop this imbalance and inequities to our earth and peoples now. Most of us get this. Why don’t you?
Joyce Grant, Asbury Park
Community and Environmental Activist
Citizens for Oceanfront Preservation
[This letter represents the opinion of its writer and is not representative of any opinion of the Asbury Park Sun staff. All readers are welcome to submit Letters to the Editor to news@asburyparksun.com for our consideration. For guidelines on letter-writing and submission, click here.]
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