s one of your constituents
and a resident and business
owner in the borough of Highlands, I am writing to implore you to intervene in the matter of the Department of Transportation plan to replace the Route 36 Highlands/Sea Bright drawbridge.
The out-of-scale and out-ofcharacter new bridge, as designed, would have a negative impact on one of the most scenic seaside areas on the Jersey Shore, as well as on the economies and qualities of life of the small well-preserved communities which surround it.
There remains a possibility that the existing historic landmark bridge can be preserved and rehabilitated. If that possibility proves unfeasible, then at the very least we as taxpayers deserve a more appropriate design for a new bridge that will complement the character of the surrounding area, not destroy it with a bridge that may be suitable for an industrial locale, but not a scenic waterfront.
That is what the DOT has on the table and is planning to move ahead with. Yet quite hypocritically, at the same time, the DOT has decided to provide Monmouth County with grants to assist with the preservation of the Oceanic and Rumson bridges, both county owned and for which they have no legal responsibility.
While we applaud this, we cannot understand the blatant hypocrisy here, in that they have ignored the public outcry to give the Highlands/Sea Bright bridge the same consideration.
All three unique and historic bridges form a local transportation triad spanning the scenic Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers, and all deserve to be respected and preserved as part of our Jersey Shore heritage.
It seems that both the shortsightedness and perhaps the pride of the DOT in their misguided decision is getting in the way of accomplishing what should be approached as a very unique and important preservation effort that would benefit generations of New Jerseyans.
I must stress the urgency of your anticipated intervention into the re-evaluation of this matter before it is too late, and that time is of the essence!
Once again, I sincerely implore you to immediately look into this and use your political clout to ensure that either the character and history of our area is preserved or that the DOT listen to area residents and work with us to achieve an appropriate design.
I have just traveled crosscountry and have seen some beautiful highway bridges that are thoughtfully designed to complement the surrounding scenic landscapes, not blight them. We as taxpayers should not be expected to settle for anything less here in New Jersey, and what remains of our scenic areas should be respected and preserved. It is the duty of our elected officials to see to this.
Please contact either me or the Citizens for Rational Coastal Development at P.O. Box 203, Highlands, NJ, 07732; co-chairs Jim Parla, (732) 872-2095 and Shirley Olman, (732) 778-6768; or www.save-twin-lights-bridge.org.
We all look forward to your assistance in pursuing a worthy solution to this urgent matter.
Nick Evangelista
Highlands