Monday, Feb. 7, was a very sad day for West Long Branch. On that day, Monmouth University (MU) bulldozed a historic, 118-year-old, three-story Victorian house located at 81 Brookwillow Ave., one of the oldest original homes making up the beautiful Norwood Park section of our town.
The house was specifically mentioned in Robert J. Fisher’s wonderful book, “Norwood Park – An Exclusive Summer Cottage Colony,” in which the author pointed out that this house alone “remains with the original [slate] roof and displays the shaped wooden siding.”
This acquisition and bulldozing of this historic home at 81 Brookwillow Ave. is the most recent in MU’s expansion north of Beechwood Avenue.
MU acquired this house and lot in a private sale; exactly how this occurred is unknown, as are the specific plans for the now vacant, 1-acre lot. The 1-acre lot at 81 Brookwillow is adjacent to last year’s 16-acre acquisition, Kilkare Farm, also a historic property.
MU is seeking to construct new facilities on this property, if approved by the WLB zoning board.
To my knowledge MU has done nothing illegal in acquiring, bulldozing and destroying historic sites in WLB. However, this action and intrusion on WLB historic sites is simply outrageous.
MU’s relentless expansion into WLB has crossed the line and must be stopped before more horrific intrusions into our community take place.
It would be appropriate at this critical juncture for the WLB Borough Council to pass a resolution in favor of halting the expansion of MU north of Beechwood Avenue.
We can be sure that MU will not stop expanding until the borough stops it. MU officials have said many times in past applications for expansion that they would not expand north of Beechwood Avenue, yet that is exactly what they are doing.
MU bought Kilkare farm (and 81 Brookwillow Ave.) in secret, without coordinating with the borough, and had the audacity to plan to pave over it until stopped by a public outcry and a Borough Council resolution.
Given its record, we can expect MU to continue to plague the area with relentless expansion north of Beechwood Avenue, with no end in sight, unless stopped.
MU has already grown much too big for WLB, and further expansion north of Beechwood Avenue would be a fundamental step backward for all WLB residents.
MU’s overexpansion is degrading the quality of life for all residents in our area by contributing excessive traffic, frequent jams, added noise and light pollution, dangerous flooding and decreased property values.
Unfortunately, the WLB Zoning Board seems inclined once again to approve this application, as it has all past MU applications for expansion.
The Zoning Board members’ questions and body language suggest that they have already made up their minds, right from the beginning. In addition, half of the Zoning Board members are MU alumni and should not be participating in this application, given their conflict of interest.
This proposed expansion north of Beechwood Avenue is a fundamental negative step backward for all residents of WLB. If allowed, it is unknown how far it will go and how great its impact will be on the WLB community.
Hopefully, the Borough Council will take appropriate action in support of the citizens it represents by passing a resolution voicing its opposition to any MU expansion north of Beechwood Avenue.
Gerald R. Ash
West Long Branch