Respect the rights of homeowners

My home in River Meadows is adjacent to the Woodbridge Wilderness Area.

I respect the right of the public to use this park as designated. But I also ask that the ones who use this park respect my rights as a homeowner in the area.

I have a right to feel safe in my own home. I shouldn't have to stand at the entrance to the park and ask individuals to put out their cigarettes, leave their dogs in their cars or refrain from using barbecues (signs are posted but are not observed). I have a right to enjoy my own front yard. Individuals use the yards in our neighborhood for changing clothes or baby diapers, hosing off mud from the riverbed and depositing their trash.

I also have a right to use this park, but without any regular supervision of this area, I am afraid to enter even for a walk along the river.

I understand the value of having an open space reserved as a nature area. The recent fire spread quickly due to the amount of dry vegetation, but homeowners are not allowed to alter the wilderness in any way — no cutting, trimming or removing of trees or plants. Yet visitors to the park have damaged the river bank, polluted the river with their trash and waste (there are no public restrooms) and can be held responsible for the destruction by fire of five precious acres. These visitors are both disrespectful to the park and to the homeowners who try to preserve this nature area.

In response to the comments by Mary Avanti — this park is not being used by the youth of Woodbridge. Those of us who live near the entrance are witnesses to the types of individuals who are the park's visitors. And to Glenda Wall — homeowners are the ones who pick up the trash; we are the ones who diligently attempt to protect this wilderness area. But, should that be our responsibility? The park is not ours. We just live near it!

An unsupervised river wilderness area is a danger to the visitors who use it and to the homeowners who share a property line with it. And, unfortunately, now it is not even a safe habitat for the protection of wildlife.

Kathy Knight
Woodbridge