Brick Residents Say Parkway Development Has Turned Into Noisy Nuisance
BRICK TOWNSHIP, NJ(CBSNewYork) -- Residents are making calls for a wall in Brick.
The calls are coming from people who live just a stone's throw from the Garden State Parkway.
Complaints have risen dramatically since hundreds of trees had to be chopped down.
As CBS2's Meg Baker reported, the issue may be falling on deaf ears.
Residents in the Evergreen Woods development in Brick, say they need a barrier to protect their neighborhood from the Garden State Parkway expansion near Exit 91. Thousands of trees were ripped down to make way for the project, opening their homes to the highway.
"Right next to where these people live, the Turnpike Authority decided to take down a bunch of trees, put in a retention basin, cut down more trees, and then took down all the trees in the median. So, these residents are really impacted by the sounds," Brick Mayor, John Ducey said.
Advocating on behalf of those effected by unbearable noise levels, Mayor John Ducey said he has not only contacted the Turnpike Authority, but a number of officials.
"The Department of Transportation, our assemblyman, our senators, and no results. So, frustrated, yes. All they say is wait for the project to be done and you will see replantings," Ducey said.
A portion of the Parkway that used to be two lanes has been expanded to three or more lanes.
In a statement, the Turnpike Authority said Evergreen Woods does not qualify for a sound barrier. The project is expected to be completed by 2017 and then trees may be replanted.
Jack Sluka said residents in his condominium complex can't wait that long. Their houses shake from truck traffic and they are unable to sleep.
"This is almost two years now. They just ripped everything out. They probably took 30-feet of trees on this side, 70-feet of trees center divider, and another 30 on the other side," Sluka said.
Michele Spector hung rugs on her walls to block the booming traffic.
"I've been here since 1994. For a while it was less lanes, less noisy, and you couldn't see anything," Spector said, "You can see they haven't preserved anything. They've actually made it horrible. It used to be beautiful."
Working class condo owners are also concerned about property value.
"My appeal went through and says in the last two years my house went down $14,000," Sluka said.
The Turnpike Authority estimates more than 150,000 vehicles travel that portion of the Parkway every weekday.
It would cost about $4-million to build a mile long barrier.
You May Also Be Interested In These Stories
