By Charles Layton
If you’ve noticed this big Gannon sign on the front of 80 Main Avenue and wondered what it means, wonder no more. It means this controversial, much-loved but much-neglected building is about to be saved.
Officials of the Historic Preservation Commission met recently with the owners’ representative, local attorney Bill Gannon, and came away with an agreement that the building will be renovated rather than demolished.
The future of 80 Main, considered one of Ocean Grove’s key historic structures, had been in doubt for many months. Gannon told me on Thursday that his clients, the owners, had “wanted to do a complete razing, a complete demolition” due to the building’s poor condition. They had applied to the HPC for a permit to demolish; however, HPC members who inspected the building felt strongly that it should be saved instead.
“I think it’s a win-win,” Gannon said of the proposal now in the works to renovate. The uninhabited building was once a doctor’s office on the first floor and a residence on the second. Gannon said his clients intend to convert the entire building into a single-family home and then probably put it up for sale.
The building, neglected for years, has been cited for multiple maintenance violations. Photos by Charles Layton
The agreement to renovate would seem to mark the end of a long struggle between Neptune Township and the building’s absentee owners, Mark and Hal Ornstein of Howell, NJ. Last year the HPC asked Neptune Code Enforcement to do something about the building’s condition. In August, Code issued a list of violations including rotted or missing wood, peeling paint and shingles missing or broken. In February, the owners pleaded guilty in Municipal Court and agreed to address the building’s problems.
According to Gannon, the first phase of the work will be exploratory, to determine the exact state of the building. To that end, the HPC has given permission for the Gannon family’s contracting business, Gannon Building & Remodeling, to gut the interior down to the studs, to strip off the decking on the front porch, to secure the front porch (chiefly for the protection of workers entering and leaving the place) and to take off the porch railing. Gannon said that he expects to get a permit this week to do all that, and that the work itself could begin next week.
The second phase will involve a full hearing before the HPC to introduce the renovation plans. After that comes the application for permits to do the work. “We’re hoping to get the full documents in by October or November,” Gannon said. He said Shore Point Architecture of Ocean Grove would produce the construction documents.
Deborah Osepchuk, chairwoman of the HPC, said the first-phase details were worked out with Gannon in a meeting that she characterized as cordial. She said both he and the HPC were in basic agreement.
“His intention is, and ours is, that the building will be saved,” she said.
So after the owners cannot get their way through demolition they finally agree to follow the law. I suppose as usual our Municipal Court will NOT impose any fine or penalty. The lesson then will be what?
Looking at this historic building, I have often thought how wonderful it would be if the first floor were made into an Ocean Grove branch of the Neptune Twp. Public Library. Ocean Grove desperately needs a public library branch. Anyone have ideas on how to make this a reality?
. . . IMOGrove
You are correct about the library, but this seems to be like a done deal. Paul
Is there an Andrew Carnegie out there? Unfortunately I doubt there will be public monies available for Library expansion (or much else) for years to come. ken
One down, and how many more to go? Anonymous is correct. Have any of the owners of these buildings learned that it might just be the right thing to not put the TWP and it’s taxpayers through the expenses incurred and just fix these derelicts on our schedule and not theirs. Great that this one is now close to being off our “danger” list.
I’m afraid the library idea, although wonderful, is a little unworkable in this economy. The Neptune Library is struggling through budget cuts already.
Charles–Was this agreement formalized in writing? And were either township attorney Gene Anthony or the HPC attorney involved in the negotiations?
Kathy — Osepchuk says it’s in writing. All the specifics are contained in an application that’s been submitted by Gannon in behalf of the owners. She said she wanted to be sure it was all written down because there is so much community interest in this building. I believe the HPC’s attorney was involved, but I don’t know about Anthony.
ah oh!
I love the library idea…… maybe Bill Gates could help out!
With Ocean Grove paying 25% of all property taxes collected by Neptune Township it would not be unrealistic to advocate for a library extension.
I.M. Radar
It wouldn’t be unrealistic to advocate for it. But it would be unrealistic to expect to get it.
Its a whole 1.6 miles from the OG gates to the Neptune Public Library on Neptune Blvd (1.2 miles as the crow flies). Why would we make taxpayers foot the bill of a second library? Why stop there? There clearly is a need for a Senior Center in Ocean Grove too. I’m sure Mr. Gates would have no problem funding a second building in OG, being that its a depressed area and such.
As long as the advocates for a public library branch in Ocean Grove are willing to pay for it with a special assessment on their property tax, I’m all for it.
Actually, we’re just glad that this house will no longer be a derelict and will once again be an asset to OG.
So let’s see here. Ocean Grove pays ONLY 25% of the tax base in Neptune, but someone wants to tell the OTHERS IN NEPTUNE THAT PAY 75% of taxes that they should fund a library in Ocean Grove that they most likely will never use.
Sounds like fuzzy math to me.
Why don’t you all just get together and self fund your own local library so that it doesn’t burden those that are already too burdened by this Township’s taxes?
Are we lost or is this not about a saved bldg that the Ornstein Bros. will now rehab and will then sell as a 1 family home. Why would it even be considered for a library?
Editor’s note: People bring up all sorts of ideas when they comment on the blog. This idea was mentioned by someone who was engaging in a fantasy about having a library branch in 80 Main. Her idea was a fantasy because the deal had already been struck to turn the property into a one family house—-a victory for the Grove, even if some don’t like how it evolved.
An interesting related observation is that during the 110 years that the Camp Meeting Association ran the town as an independent entity, they had a police department, a fire department, a governing board, and even a court, but, as far as I can tell, they never had a library in the Grove. Since Grovers paid property taxes back then to Neptune, presumably they went to the Neptune library as they do today. Paul @Blogfinger