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A Good Neighbor

I represent a group of 15 neighbors that lives in close proximity to the Madison Beach Hotel. We have recently seen the press release put out by the Madison Beach Preservation Association (MBPA) regarding the hotel. Its view does not represent that of many of the hotel’s neighbors, and I feel we should have our voice heard.

Though there had been some issues early on with the hotel, they have responded promptly to our concerns and have worked diligently to correct those issues. Most of us enjoy the summer concerts and our families are delighted by the free family movies on Tuesdays and the s’mores on the beach on Sunday evenings.

The concerts are only held once a week in the summer, are not overly loud, and always end by 9 p.m., so they are little bother. Traffic and parking are now well managed. The loudspeaker announcements of football games from the Surf Club are much more annoying, but we deal with them as it is part of living in this neighborhood.

The hotel provides us with a pleasant place to walk to for dinner or a drink. What an improvement from the old hotel. In those days, The Wharf was open until all hours of the evening, and it was not uncommon to find inebriated patrons wandering around the neighborhood, or to smell the garbage from its outside bins. These issues are all gone now.

The hotel is one of the largest taxpayers in Madison and is a major employer for the area. It provides a vehicle for bringing more tourism to the town, which is a benefit to the Madison shop owners and restaurants. I do believe that it should not be allowed to expand activities beyond what it is doing now, but I have no issues with these activities and consider them a good neighbor.

Lewis H. Rosenblum

Madison