Rural beauty could be just a memory if mayor's idea is enacted

I have been a resident of South Old Bridge for many years, and I enjoy the rural atmosphere that exists in my neighborhood. I am surrounded by the 2,500 acres that Middlesex County and the township of Old Bridge purchased in the late 1990s, and I commend everyone who had the foresight to preserve a piece of heaven for all the residents to enjoy. I enjoy seeing the deer and the many other animals that live in my rural neighborhood, but I think that all may change if Mayor Jim Phillips has his way.

Mayor Phillips has proposed selling 500 acres of the township's share of the 2,500 acres that were to be preserved for open space. A developer could purchase the property, build 850 new homes, and the township would receive the proceeds from the sale. Jim Phillips calls the deal tax relief. I call the deal the destruction of a rural area of Old Bridge.

It's time that elected officials are held accountable for their promises. Jim Phillips promised us that he would stop overdevelopment, but his proposal to sell township property doesn't stop overdevelopment - it will destroy a beautiful and rural area of Old Bridge.

I listened to Mr. Phillips when he told us that more houses bring more taxes and more traffic, and now I'm going to have to listen to the bulldozers and heavy equipment that are going to bring all the new homes to my neighborhood.

If there is any opportunity for the residents of Old Bridge to save my neighborhood, it will be in the election in November. I want honesty and integrity in government, so I'm going to support Councilman Richard Greene for mayor and his team of Brian Cahill and Owen Henry for Township Council.

Tom Curry

Old Bridge