A blank slate at the precious North End of Ocean Grove. What it could have become…. Blogfinger photograph. ©
Imagine what a beautiful place might have been designed at our North End—a legacy for all who live here, who will visit here, and who will come here in the future.
Instead, this will become Ocean Grove’s Sutton Place—a private elitist space for the few that might have been filled with the open air sounds of children laughing, games, young people moving along–romance and friendship; sea breezes, light, space, and easy ocean access; and trees, benches, flowers, art and music.
But no, the legacy will be that of developers who dominate our beachfront environment for the sake of money—kidding themselves that these ersatz yellow historic designs and landscapes will somehow thrill the heart, delight the eyes, and caress the ocean breezes. Yes they will leave some “open spaces,” but that will be a poor substitute for what might have been.
And the developers will promote the new Grove by showing pictures of our historic town, made that way by residents and historic idealists, not by developers and politicians who only pretend to care. What might have been will be buried under the garage.
THE KINGS OF LEON:
Dreamin’ on the last mile home, dreamin’ on the mile last home
Things are always better, when we’re all together
I’m dreamin’ on the last mile home
Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger.net