Fix Memorial Park

Aug 02, 2023

By Gail Travers | on August 30, 2023

To the Editor:

I recently read the letter regarding the new ramp that was put in at the 25th Street pier in Ship Bottom (“New Gateway,” 8/9). I agree this provides access to the bay in a safe manner and I propose that Ship Bottom look at installing these along the entire town.

If you are old enough, you may remember the days each street had access to the bay. My siblings and I had a great sandy beach at the end of West Fourth Street in Ship Bottom. It has been about 20 years now that the street was bulkheaded and a park was put in for everyone to enjoy.

This area is now called Memorial Park for those who passed away on 9/11 and holds a special place for me because I was one of the lucky ones who made it out of downtown New York City that day. Unfortunately, Memorial Park needs a lot of TLC and it seems the town has forgotten about this little area. It has plenty of parking for those who want to enjoy it, but why not make it better?

Let’s address the rotting boardwalk, the unkept areas and the eroding land from under the bulkhead and make it truly usable. There are so many people who live in the area who would love to access the bay once again and this area has so many access points: directly over the sandy beach or on the lagoon which occupies 200 feet of the park.

I propose that we redesign the entire park in the manner of our new town hall. This would create a beautiful and functional space that would be a source of pride for our community.

John Roth

Ship Bottom

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