To the Editor:
I wrote a letter last month about the recently approved development of the Brine restaurant property.
The letter, published in the Sept. 19 Herald, had the desired effect, but unfortunately, Lower Township declined to have any dialogue on the matter. The Crest leadership immediately requested to begin discussions on possible alternative development plans but was declined by Lower Township leadership.
According to Lower Township Administrator James Ridgway, not one member of the township council or leadership he spoke to was interested in opening a dialogue. I spoke with Ridgway personally to confirm this.
Can we blame them for not wanting to consider open space instead of new homes that expand the tax base? Yes, in this case, we can, and here’s why.
On the southern side of the Cape May bridge, Lower Township has hundreds, if not thousands, of residents with exactly one public amenity, a small park that has now been sold to a developer. That leaves zero public amenities for their residents.
They offer no parks for families or dogs, nor do they own the beaches, which are private. They also offer no public trash or recycling facilities on this side of the bridges, which caused the Crest to have to close theirs to anyone who could not prove Crest residency.
Essentially, Lower Township has gotten a free ride on everything the Wildwoods have to offer without offering anything in return. They, of course, collect real estate taxes but invest none on the Wildwoods side of the bridges.
Now, when presented with an amazing opportunity to do something truly unique, they decline to even explore the options.
One would think Mayor Simonsen and his team would want to paint a different legacy for themselves. After all, how often will they have a chance to shape the future of the waterfront?
It’s not too late to act. Mayor Cabrera is waiting for their call.
