Unique South Jersey family fun venue may be gone soon (Opinion)
Our family recently had a great day in the hot sun at a public pool called the Landing Strip Beach Club. It's part of the Flying W Airport & Resort, a great little place for family fun and a truly unique space out in a rural part of Burlington County.
As we were leaving a couple drove past and asked if they're still planning to tear the place down to make room for affordable housing. I wasn't aware, so I looked it up.
Sure enough, the Pine Barrens Tribune says the place's days are numbered. It may not be around for another season thanks to the heavy hand of state government in New Jersey.
As you may or may not know, every town in New Jersey has been court ordered to have a certain amount of "affordable housing" within their borders. You can read more details here. Towns can negotiate the number and even buy "credits" to reduce the number, but the state will still get their way no matter the impact on property owners, businesses, or the community at large.
It's like the mafia coming in and forcing their will on you and making you an offer you can't refuse. It's social engineering at its worst. Many people write to us every month complaining about the impact on their towns. It doesn't usually get the attention of most folks until it directly affects and impacts them.
In this case they chose this property as being "in need of redevelopment" because it way off the beaten path and out of the way. Most of the people in town won't see the 380-unit development but they'll feel its impact on traffic, schools, and general crowding of this quiet town. That doesn't matter.
The mafiosi in Trenton don't care. They force their will through the left-leaning courts and their decisions and just order towns to shut up and obey. Most people are busy and don't pay attention to what's going on in their towns and towns around them. Once they do it's too late and the town you moved into isn't what you bargained for when you got there.
Thanks State of New Jersey!
The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis Malloy's own.