My husband and I were enraged to say the least upon reading Raymond Kostanty’s letter to the editor in the News Transcript on Nov. 19 (“Open Public Streets to Commuter Parking”). Before anything, I would like to addressMr. Kostanty’s insensitivity, and using his words, “selfish resident attitude.”
I was so relieved when I moved (to Manalapan) 13 years ago to find out that they had outlawed parking on my street during the week. I was informed by the person who formerly owned my home that before that law took effect, it was a nightmare on my street due to all the commuter parking.
I dare say that if I had come to view my home at that time and had seen the multitude of cars lining the streets, I would no way have purchased my present home. I, like many others who moved here from city areas, came here to get away from all the traffic and noise and own a nice piece of land in which we could enjoy the serene atmosphere that suburbs should offer us.
Mr. Kostanty is trying to rob that privilege from those of us who happen to live in proximity to commuter parking lots and Route 9; for that he calls us selfish and crybabies. I am certain he does not live in an area in which that could happen to him. I wonder if he would still feel the same then.
What Mr. Kostanty is really stating in his letter is that we allow these residential surrounding areas to become an extension of the commuter parking lot. No other areas would ever have the volume and consistency of traffic that these streets would have; we all pay the same taxes and deserve the same fairness.
There is no denying that just as I would not have purchased my home had they not banned the parking, similarly, the same holds true to me as a homeowner when I go to sell my home. It will depreciate the value and curb appeal of my neighborhood, but why should that bother Mr. Kostanty or people with his view; after all, it is not his home.
Then there is the point of the children, which he mentions. Does he forget that children are home in the summer, but commuters still go to work? Children in my development would be robbed of the opportunity to ride their bikes on the block or play ball, as they now do. Not to mention the school buses that come at about the same time that many people would be parking on my street.
Mr. Kostanty and people like him have no problem with the sight of streets that would look like Grand Central Station every day of the week, with doors slamming at all hours and people coming and going on what should be a nice, quiet, suburban street like his. According to him, it is selfish of people like me to expect that in my area; after all, he says, the cars would only be there 10 hours a day, 12 months a year!
What Mr. Kostanty is proposing is what apparently the residents before me fought hard to eliminate, but, according to him, those of us living here should not be entitled to the same living standards as he — we should suffer in more ways than one so he can have convenience.
Don’t punish us or our children because of where our homes happen to be located. We all worked hard to get to where we are; therefore, we should all have the same privilege of living in a nice, peaceful and quiet community.
Walter and Maria Muller
Manalapan

