Longport resident, Dorothy McGee passed on Nov. 18. In her estate will, McGee bequeathed two sizable lots on the beach block of 22nd Ave in Longport.
She requested that Longport turn the grassy lots into a park with a gazebo. McGee wanted the property to be ‘deed-restricted’. Keep it a park, in perpetuity.
Longport leadership will need to decide whether to accept the offer or not.
Read full story here by Amy Rosenberg of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Dorothy Sanders McGee, 88, was born and raised in Rochester, NY.
She moved to Margate in 1970 and eventually settled in Longport, where she became secretary of the board of education for Longport for almost two decades.
Dorothy’s true passion was reading and knowledge, she could always be found curled up with a good book.
When she wasn’t reading, she volunteered for thirty years with the Miss America Organization, where she worked her way up from hostess to the board of directors.
She was an active member of Atlantic County Charity League for thirty years.
She also volunteered at her children’s various school’s libraries, was a member of the Longport Garden Club, and the Longport Historical Society.
Dorothy previously served on the Board of Directors for Miss America and was a former Charity League President.
What a generous and genuine charity minded individual! Ms. McGee’s contribution will allow limitless generations of families to sit in the park with a good book or play on the grassy open space.
Instead of seeing the private property erected with plastic ultra modern homes, the community now has real priceless gem!
Congrats and a heartfelt thank you to Ms. McGee
John Weinrich- lifelong local Summer resident
What a gift. The borough should take full advantage of the open space by planting native plants that will attract pollinators to the area. A few bags of seed will go a long way, then very little maintenance will be required with these species of plants.
Other than keeping the soil moist during the germination period, no other irrigation is needed, so the plants on these lots will not be a burden on public works employees.
Add a few paths through the lots using mulch or slate, a couple of benches, and soon you will have a garden oasis that everyone can enjoy.
Who pays the taxes for the lots she bequeathed? And for the maintenance and upkeep on those lots ?
The 2 lots generate $35k in taxes now. If developed, it would easily double.
The Borough will lose $70k+ in taxes and then have to pay to build the park and maintain it.
Result: Rest of the Borough covers the cost through their taxes
Unfortunately, these lots are located in the same area as the private beaches, and would become a private park.
There is no street parking from 23rd street to the jetty. The people living on these streets are the only people able to access these beaches and the proposed park.
Only bike riders can get to this area.
I much prefer the boro allowing buildings to be built generating tax money, than using tax money to pay for an inaccessible park.
I’ve lived here 20 years, and have heard the safety argument that streets are too narrow for emergency vehicles.
This is nonsense, and should be re-addressed.
I agree with DLP. There is no sense in having a park if there is no parking. The lost tax revenue and maintenance make it a costly gift. Who needs a park less than a block from the beach anyway?
Did you ever hear of WALKING, RIDING BIKES – such a shame people are so entitled and only concerned with taxes and development. 20 years from now I hope your children read that it’s not needed.
Ahhhhhh, the good ‘ol days when the middle class were still a large and integral part of Longport, NJ. Those days are long gone and will never come back, Ms. McGee, but Rest In Peace and we all appreciate your humble request.
Not quite clear what your point is other than yet another opportunity to be snarky. If they honor her request which is thoughtful and generous albeit odd given the location, it will cost the taxpayers money.
Disagree with you saying it was “snarky” to say that the middle class USED to be an integral part of Longport. It’s a fact. Nothing stays the same I know, and unfortunately people being concerned more with developing land and collecting taxes is the norm today. Ms. McGee , I am appalled that your generosity is being viewed as a negative for the community. What a sad excuse that the only people who will “benefit” from a park are those who live in the immediate area “because there is no parking.” Did you ever hear of WALKING, RIDING BIKES – jeeze – entitlement at it’s worst.
To Longport Commissioners: How about seeking out a plan to solicit some wealthy donors to fund a Trust of some sort to appease these people who are concerned with loss of tax revenue? Longport is clearly pushing out the middle class that made it such a special place but I cannot believe that the new age residents don’t care about this. And it’s tax deductible for them!
Thank you, Dick, for supporting my point. It wasn’t meant to be snarky, just realistic. Only the nouveau riche who have literally taken Longport completely over, would get defensive about my comment. They have no knowledge, nor do they care, about the little cape cods and humble two-story homes that used to make Longport available to the middle class for many generations of the past. But as you stated, things change. Let the wealthy residents who use their Longport homes as a tax write-off most of the year, donate to this cause.