Milford chronicle., 1954-09-03
Road Board Wants
Sand Dunes Control
continued rom nrst pagal

& tHulN anu AcAA ApuAuAJ DMAlUAuSS uu
I the sand dunes.
They also saw the fishing activi-
ties along the banks of the Indian
River Inlet and the fleet Of cruisers
that dart through the inlet like so
many skaters.
/ AS one member of the commits
sion put it. THE place is just alive
with vacatiOners-some of whom
are there for Week-ends and some
for the entire summer at very,
very low cost"
And another commissioner said:
Is this a highway department
or are we also conducting a park
system and recreation system?'
Hugh r. Sharp, Jr., chairman
of the State Highway Commission,
was extremely frank in his apprais-
al of the situation:
we are doing the best we can,
under the circumstances and yet
we are not doing the best possible
job.
"Here is extremely valuable
stretch of land-for recreational
purposes. The people Of the state
be properly handled for their bene-
want to use it as such and is should
mt Closer supervision there is need
ed. We do not want the beautiful
strip of ocean front turned into a
dump. We must have a plan-and
we must have money"
His fellow highway commission
ers were in complete agreement
with him. He continued:
But we are primarily interested
in highway construction. / see no
reason why we must take money or
our time for operating recreational
centers-unless of course that's
what the General Assembly wants
us to do. But-We can't do a good
job under the present arrange
ments"
Il was some time ago that Col.
William A. McWilliams, chief en-
gineer Of the State Highway De-
paTtment, confessed:
I'm an engineer, not a recrea-
ton center expert"
AS the situation now looks. the
plan of the Highway Commission
is to draft a program of recon-
mendatiOns of what should be done
along that stretch of ocean front
IN Sussex and then ask the General
Assembly if it wants the State Park
Commission to take over the area
because 1t is really a state park.
IN that event, the Highway Com
mission will give the State Park
commission its recommendations
and an account of its experience in
running a trailer camp, a restaur-
ant, and the camping area along
the ocean.
In the event the State Park Com
mission runs away from this op-
portunity Of administering a very
popular ocean front park. then
the Highway Commission has am
other plan, as outlined BY Mr..
Sharp:
I'VE will have to set up a sep
arate division within the State
Highway Department "a division
that will take care of such items
that are not nofmally highway
problems. Such a division would
have care of erosion problems.
hood gates, tide gates-and this
ocean front area. Wen have to GET
some one to head up the division
and then get extra money from
the General Assembly.
Certainly" Mr. Sharp added, |
I can't see spending money desig- |
mated for highways, for any of
these other problems"
On this, Colonel McWilliams com !
mented:
The General Assembly directs /
US to build flood gates and gives as |
the money to build them but we |
dont get any money to maintain /
them. And in no time, if no main |
tenance work is done, they deterio- |
The movies were the next best /
thing to a personal tour of the area
under discussion, through praeticala /
~ every one Of the highway com /
missioners has been down there /
some time or another. The films. |
taken very recently, however
were amazing-showing not only
the heavy traffic but the densifv /
OF fishermen along the inlet and I
the tents on the dunes-almost
canvas to canvas and very little
room left for parking.
1t was reported that one dunn
truck and three men are kept busy
policing the grounds but Colonel
MeWilliams said:
There are some sections Of the
peach that are really shocking.
what with beer cans all over fbe
place" -"
Mr.. Sharp reported that when no
inspected the area last week 10
saw paper flying all around and
ADMITTED that perhaps there was
little that could have been done
lust then because Of the brisk ocean
breeze. o0''A
But before the highway commits
left that subject. someone
remembered that back in the 1q20e
there has been prepared renort
ana recommendations as to how
me ocean front lands could be de-
Veioped into a real recreation cen
ter--with tennis courts and ali
ana u was also recalled that
one Of the consultants on tbat re-
mort was none other than Robert
City. ~" DIX
How could the commissioners
get to see the report?
Well-there's only one oonv
around. And that's snug in a safe
II will be exhumed, busted ofi
ana studied for ideas that conId he
presented to the General Assemble
lions. 9usseS-