Burnham Park “Common Sense” Resident Letter II

On Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:00pm Morristown is hosting a Town Hall Meeting for residents to be able to voice their opinion on the conditions of Burnham Park.

The Burnham Park Association has their voices and opinions heard on a regular basis and are very politically active. They claim the following:

Burnham Park Association is one of the winners of the National Arbor Day Project Awards in 2005 sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Award winners are recognized for their leadership in the cause of tree planting, conservation, and environmental stewardship. http://www.burnhampark.org

The Burnham Park Association will continually point to the Deed Restrictions from 1911 and 1914 to prevent the Town of Morristown from potentially making Burnham Park the crown jewel of their parks:

https://sites.google.com/site/burnhamparkassociation/about-us

Now common sense and attached pictures tell a different story. It shows that Burnham Park is dilapidated, not family friendly and not safe.

Ironically, Morristown’s own Housing & Property Maintenance Division has Property Maintenance Code Enforcements that outline the following:

Code Enforcement Inspectors are responsible for conducting walkarounds and on-demand Property Maintenance inspections of all Town of Morristown properties and enforce Codes to the benefit of public health and welfare. The Inspectors are also to patrol the Town’s streets and respond to residents’ requests for investigation across the Town.

Enforcement includes but is not limited to:

• Impassable walkways
• Lack of maintenance, deteriorating structures
• Suspected Infestations
• Trash, litter or debris
• Unsanitary conditions

http://www.townofmorristown.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={5328E673-B925-4558-AEFF-8BD262F98909}

Frederick and Catherine Burnham donated the park to Morristown in 1911, I can’t imagine they would be delighted at the current condition. Common Sense says, if you Own it, Maintain it! I encourage everyone who is reading this letter to walk through the park this weekend and if you feel the same way as many of us do, then attend the meeting next Wednesday and let your voice be heard.