Letter to the editor. From Colette Ritzel:
Stuart Farrell’s recent statements regarding the Army Corps of Engineers project in Margate were offensive and demonstrate his bias and lack of homework.
Before commenting, Farrell should have revealed that he receives funding from and/or works closely with both the Army Corps and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. He is conflicted and has no business interjecting without understanding our concerns.
He doesn’t recognize that one size doesn’t fit all.
Almost 95 percent of Brigantine’s beach front has no bulkhead system so they need dunes to protect their property. Ironically, the 5 percent protected by a bulkhead/seawall has no dunes. Margate’s bulkhead is excellent with 100 percent coverage.
Ventnor and Atlantic City have a boardwalk in front of their bulkhead, requiring protection, Margate doesn’t, nor does it have an erosion problem. So why the project?
The lack of boardwalk is a big difference. It means cleaning, securing and maintaining two beach areas, not one. It also means climbing up and down steps, only to face the back of a wall of sand and then climbing up, over and down the wall.
If his statement about the sea level rising 2 feet in 50 years is correct, then all the money spent on dunes is a waste as there will be no beach to place a dune on.
I don’t live on the beach block, I’m not “stupid,” I have no view, but I can clearly see this project isn’t needed, it isn’t free, it is a waste of tax payer money and it will ruin our beautiful beaches.
Why don’t we focus some attention on the back bay flooding or the regular street flooding that occurs with every storm instead of chicken little-ing over the once-in-a-century storm.
Colette Ritzel
Margate