Planning the Post-Sandy Future

NJ Spotlight | July 22, 2013
Moving ahead is more than a matter replenishing dunes and raising houses

Gleaming boardwalks and sun-bathing crowds have returned to the Jersey Shore this summer, but questions about the aftermath of the region after Sandy persist. How do we balance upholding the emotional attachments many New Jerseyans have to the Shore while preparing for the future and staying safer and more resilient in the event of future storms? What lessons have we learned? How do we consider both the short-term and the long-term at the same time?

This online discussion started a few days ago and will continue to unfold over the next day or two. The panelists include:

  • Thomas Kelaher, the mayor of Toms River, one of the towns hard hit by Sandy;
  • Chris Sturm, senior policy analyst at NJ Future, an organization that looks at planning and land-use issues throughout the state;
  • Tom Critelli, president of Danitom Development and past president of the NJ Builders Association;
  • Helen Henderson, policy advocate and Tim Dillingham, executive director, will both be speaking on behalf of the American Littoral Society, an organization that works on coastal conservation.

    • If you have any questions or comments for our panel, tweet them to @NJSpotlight with the hashtag #NJSSandy for our moderator to review. You can also pose them in the comments.