Frayda Levy Mountain Lakes Wanna-be Senator Knows Not What "Sprawl Is?

Rebuttal to Frayda Levy of Mountain Lakes Letter of January 15 concerning, “sprawl” and “open space”.

   First let it be suggested Frayda, google, or look up the word “sprawl” there are books written on the Phenomena. For example: 10th Anniversary Edition SUBURBAN NATION :The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream.

Sprawl is domination of life by automobile, from traveling around to perform daily chores to poor zoning laws, or zoning laws geared toward motor vehicles and their roadways... It is non-traditional neighborhood character and appearances, caused by land seen not for its natural characteristic but as a consumptive commodity. The Town or Village center disappears and the people are clustered or scattered about in isolated subdivisions these clusters and pods of living space replace natural or historical resources; endless shopping malls and office parks requiring more roads leading to traffic congestion. Many of these malls become idle or vacant do to over competition and other market variables; as is the usual case office space remains unoccupied do to over development in market speculation allowed by private interest over community values or good land use zoning laws. Why were so many "surplus" office complexes developed, without definite occupiers ready to utilize the structures? (would not it have been better/wiser if the land still was forested or open?)

  Suburban sprawl, unnecessary or improper land-use has been a subject in New Jersey (and the Nation), at least since the late 1970’s. NJ State Senator William Gromley advocating for a State Master Plan that would stop “helter skelter suburban sprawl” as it was termed then.

 Many developers driven by market values see land as a commodity rather than a natural or historical resource of life enhancing element of ecology. Sprawl destroys or negatively impact things, like mature forest, native landscapes and most importantly in places like Parsippany water resources and especially “ground water recharge areas”.

 Endless allocation of resources without concerns of sustainability is a form of mindless greed. Water a public trust belonging to all of us including future generations need be protected. Community must not become subservient to private corporate demands that would take this resource for something not needed. All natural resources have limits are finite and do suffer the impacts of man. Just look at our littered and trashed landscapes all along the roadways, another element of sprawl, the landscapes become landfills as desensitized people toss their consumption upon the land with no thought of pride or nation.

  It is not ‘development’ as Frayda states but unneeded development like a Whole Foods store and apartment complex that would replace water recharge and mature forested slope that enhances the adjoining neighborhood. This beautiful landscape threshold the entrance to one of Parsippany’s most outstanding living spaces, one home site at least dating back to the 1700s. So Frayda believes her desire for shopping diversity should take preference over and above community values and water resources now in crisis in many places. Frayda simply put RD developer picked the wrong location and their development is not a necessity. What is more important is protecting our last remaining landscapes of historic and natural resources. Frayda water does not come from a plastic bottle. Just  count the plastic bottles on the way home from work or play, that's sprawl culture. Sprawl is the end of America the Beautiful.