As a 20-year resident of Middletown, I frequently visit Sandy Hook and participate in many of the wonderful programs that are offered by the Park Service. Sandy Hook and Fort Hancock are very special places to me and thousands of others.
It is a place that offers beautiful vistas, serenity, and habitat for birds, raccoons, foxes and other wildlife. The lighthouse, museums, Post theater, Audubon Society, Littoral Society, Clean Ocean Action, Marine Academy of Science and Technology, and Brookdale Community College are all wonderful assets that make Sandy Hook and Fort Hancock special. These are the types of groups that should be occupying the Officers’ Row homes, not big businesses that are probably the only ones that can afford to rehabilitate the buildings.
The traffic study that was done seems moot to me since the potential occupants of the buildings are not known. I see lots of traffic on Sandy Hook now with all the above-mentioned buildings being occupied, and the speed limit of 35 mph is hardly ever enforced.
Since Fort Hancock is a National Historic Landmark, it is hard for me to understand why the National Park Service stood by and let the buildings deteriorate the way they have. How could the superintendents of the park and our local and state politicians let this happen and not take action sooner?
If our government can spend billions on our military and millions for beach replenishment, we should be able to get funding to save these historic structures. To privatize them is unacceptable.
We all know New Jersey has been the most densely populated state for many years. This is another reason why so many people flock to Sandy Hook to get away from the pavement, crowded roadways and noise of the city. Island Beach State Park and Sandy Hook are about the last beautiful parks along the seashore we can enjoy. How can the government justify taking away any part of the park and let private corporations move in — we have so little left to enjoy.
I want the buildings to be saved, but not by being privatized. Privatization is taking away the public land from the people — it is no longer a park once private corporations move in.
Let us have "preservation without privatization." To help us achieve this goal, please write to Save Sandy Hook, P.O. Box 265, Lincroft 07738.
Rosemary Bagwell
Middletown