SEAVILLE -- Two state senators stood shoulder to shoulder in the sunshine at a parkway picnic area to announce their bipartisan plan to introduce two bills that would give southern New Jersey a say in the decision making process that governs the Garden State Parkway.

Sen. Jeff Van Drew (D, Cape May, Atlantic, Cumberland) and Sen. Christopher Connors (R, Atlantic, Burlington, Ocean) held a press conference at the Shoemaker Holly Picnic area of the Garden State Parkway to announce their plan to insure a representative from either Cape May, Atlantic or Ocean county sits on the board of commissioners of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) and to insure the NJTA holds a minimum of two meetings per year in Cape May, Atlantic or Ocean counties.

“I believe deep South Jersey needs a place at the table,” said Van Drew,referring to the eight-member board of commissioners of the NJTA. “There should be at least one commissioner from deep South Jersey. It’s legislation that makes sense.”

Each board member of the commission is appointed by the governor; five with advice and consent of the Senate and one each recommended by the Senate President and Assembly Speaker. The current board is compromised solely of representatives from Monmouth, Mercer, Middlesex and Bergen counties. Monmouth county has three representatives on the 7 member board, yet nearly 100 miles of the 173 miles of Parkway run south of Monmouth county.

Van Drew and Connors said the current issues surrounding the southern end of the Parkway brought to the fore the need to have representation.

The proposed bills “follow two major projects authorized by the Turnpike Authority that caused significant concern from local residents and public figures in the area. One included the mass cutting of trees along the Garden State Parkway. The other was the installation of security fencing along the parkway, which the authority claimed to be for homeland security purposes,” said Van Drew and Connors in a press release.

Van Drew said that he and Connors felt that asking for one seat representing the three southernmost counties was a “fair and equitable request.”

With the NJTA based in Woodbridge, meetings regarding the fate of the southern end of the Parkway are held in the northern end of the state. According to Van Drew, almost half the length of the Parkway runs through Ocean, Atlantic and Cape May counties.

“I think you’d agree that at least a few meetings should happen in deep South Jersey,” said Van Drew, noting that most would be hard pressed to find one person in the tri-county area who has been to a meeting of the NJTA in Woodbridge.

“The Turnpike Authority handles multi-million dollar projects that affect thousands of our residents,” said Connors. “It is imperative that we are part of the discussions that are taking place at the Authority and that we are in the room when important decisions regarding projects in our region are being made.”

There is a current open position on the NJTA board. According to Van Drew, he and his colleague will advocate that someone from deep South Jersey fill that seat, however they will continue with their legislation.

“It needs to be memorialized,” said Van Drew, “to make sure it never happens again.”

One project still questioned by residents and lawmakers alike is the construction of the chain link fence lining the sides of the Great Egg Harbor Bridge.

The NJTA installed the chain link fencing topped with razor wire around the bridges along the Parkway in a multi-million project attributed to homeland security

Noting the bucolic landscape of Atlantic and Cape May counties, Van Drew shared how the fence became a glaring eyesore to local residents.

“It has the look of a penitentiary,” said Van Drew. “People are going to notice.”

“If there had been a meeting down here (about the installation of the fence), someone would have said, ‘we don’t like it.’ Up there, folks wouldn’t have noticed,” said Van Drew.

Another issue raising the hackles of local residents was the mass cutting down of trees along the road. According to the senators, the NJTA has been inconsistent with its reasons as to why that project was conducted.

Plans for the southern end of the Parkway include the construction of overpasses at exits 9, 10 and 11 as well as the tearing down of the antiquated Beesley’s Point Bridge and construction of a new bridge alleviating congestion on the Great Egg Harbor Bridge.

Customer dissatisfaction seems to be key for local residents who travel the highway.

“It was aggravating just to get here,” said Steven O’Connor of Court House as he stood at the rest stop. “I went 12 miles and paid $1.50 to get here. I couldn’t stop to get a breakfast sandwich and I couldn’t use a bathroom. It’s the only rest stop on the Parkway without a rest room. What better example of the arrogance of the Turnpike Authority.”

“These authorities always pin it on public safety, whether it’s true or not,” said O’Connor when asked about the razing of the trees. When the project was first completed, NJTA announced the trees were cut down to help curb automobile accidents. “It was either a campaign contribution, or somebody’s brother-in-law needed a job,” he said.