Brick Asking for Relief From Parkway Noise in Evergreen Woods

Brick Township officials say they have been repeatedly calling on the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to install infrastructure to minimize the amount of noise and pollution that carried over from the Garden State Parkway to the Evergreen Woods complex in the western portion of the township.

This week, the township council unanimously passed a resolution, putting their concerns in writing, that the authority should take steps to mitigate the noise in the area.

Residents of the neighborhood began complaining about the noise shortly after the authority knocked down hundreds of trees along the roadway, exposing the condominium development's residents to constant noise from the highway. The agency has resisted pleas from residents to build a sound barrier similar to the one installed along Route 18 in Monmouth County that would stop the sound from coming through.

The Parkway is being widened in the area of Brick Township in order to be able to accommodate shoulders. The Turnpike Authority has identified the lack of shoulders as the cause of a spike in deadly accidents in the area in recent years.

But for Evergreen Woods residents, the widening brings the effects of highway traffic closer to their homes. In addition to the noise, some residents have said they smell fumes more often. Others have been concerned about their property values.

"My tax appeal was successful," said Ed Sluka, an Evergreen Woods resident.

Sluka, a vocal activist in favor of mitigating the effects of noise, said his appeal produced a "significantly lowered assessment," and that his daughter – another resident – also appealed her assessment and wound up with one $8,000 lower than his own.

"Other property owners will surely file a tax appeal next year" as word spreads, Sluka said.

Brick has taken steps to the extent it can as a township to help with the situation, including obtaining a waiver from the state which would allow a state forestry grant to be used on private property in order to replant trees downed in the widening project.

As many as 4,000 trees could be planted as part of the grant program.