Letter to Editor: What's the Need for Summer Demolition?

To the editor:

As someone who lived next door to demolition last winter, I don’t know why people are aren’t more concerned about the city’s recent move to allow demolition, pile-driving, and construction during the summer.

I had siding knocked off my house, a window frame busted, almost had a broken window, a clothes pole knocked down. But what’s really bad is the broken glass, wood splinters, nails etc. on my walkways. The noise, dirt, and vibrations (from pile-driving) are not conducive to a relaxing vacation, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if renters decide to vacate because of it.

Are you sure you want to give our tourists an experience here in America’s Greatest Family Resort they’ll never want to repeat?

It’s been six months since Sandy, and if nothing was done to remediate some of those properties what difference will another three months make? It’s one thing to allow existing property owners to continue with remediation into the summer months, but it’s another to have the builders buy tear-downs and do demolition, pile-driving, and construction during the summer months. 

If some poor property owners needs to sell out and move into a nursing home they can do that. That has nothing to do with when demolition occurs. The builders can wait three months.

I don’t see the rationale for this, and I think it’s a huge mistake.  It’s bad enough people on the south end will have to vacate the beach when the tide comes up.  It’s even worse “vacationing” in a construction zone.

Eric Sauder
Ocean City