Praise for Preserve Rumson; plea to Parents for property

Dr. Margaret Meade once said: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." The Preserve Rumson group is a living example of this famous quotation and how a small group of people can make a difference in their community. As president of the Monmouth County Historical Association, my hat is off to you. However, now I would like to put on my other hat as president of the Monmouth Conservation Foundation.

The six-acre Tredwell property in Rumson has been the focus of considerable effort on the part of many people to save the historic house, the oldest in Rumson. Now that they have had success in saving the house, I ask you to please think about saving the land. It is unfortunate that we don’t look at the land as having historic importance, as well as the home that sits on it.

Two hundred and twenty-five years ago, during the Revolutionary War, that land was the site of an inn operated by John Hartshorne. I cannot see that property being divided into building lots, and homes built on it.

Where do we stop? Can’t we recognize and revere the land that has been a part of our county history and leave it in its natural state? I am told that Dr. Vivian Garrison sold the property to the Parents with the hope that they would want to preserve the historic house and site.

In Middletown, we saved the Taylor-Butler house, and five acres of land where eight houses would have been built. As we are doing right now in Middletown, the borough of Rumson needs to look more closely at its zoning and take steps to upgrade its ordinances and the FARs (size and height of buildings on individual lots).

If we develop every piece of open land, we will pave over our history and reach a saturation point from which there is no return. To do that is not fair to our children’s and grandchildren’s future. I appeal to Art and Leslie Parent on this important point.

Judith H. Stanley

President

Monmouth Conservation Foundation