Editor’s note: On Tuesday, Blogfinger posted an article (read it here) that said, in part, that neighbors were concerned because Marshall Koplitz, owner of the Park View Inn, has not yet begun renovations on that long-derelict property, as required by a Municipal Court consent order.
On Thursday, William Doolittle, Neptune’s head of Code and Construction, sent us the following explanation and outline of events.
-0-
From William Doolittle, Director of Code and Construction
Since the court approval of the Consent Order on July 28, 2011, Mr. Koplitz has been moving forward and is planning on significant renovations to the existing structure. First, he had to obtain plans from his architect and then submit those to the Zoning Department for approval. When that was done, he had to obtain HPC approval. He could not submit simultaneously because, if Zoning denied any part of the proposal, Koplitz would have to make the necessary changes to comply, thus affecting the submission to HPC. He has obtained both of these approvals.
Neither Zoning nor HPC requires the detailed plans (structural, mechanical, fire codes, etc.) that are required by the Construction Department. Again, Koplitz would not have pursued the more detailed plans until he first obtained the Zoning and HPC approvals because any denial would require changes.
Koplitz was sent a letter [on May 2, 2012] from Gene Anthony, Neptune Township Attorney, notifying him that he was in violation of the Consent Order because of the delay between obtaining Zoning and HPC approvals, and subsequent submission to the Construction Department. The architect accepted responsibility as his business partnership was dissolving and he had to move his office. Also, due to the extent of the proposed renovations and the detailed plans required, substantial time was needed for preparation of the plans. The Construction Department received the detailed plans, which were reviewed and comments sent to the architect. Since then, our office has spoken with the architect on two occasions. He has been working on the revisions necessary and has assured us that he would submit revised plans shortly. Koplitz is required to commence construction within 45 days of the Construction Department approval.
-0-
Editor’s postscript: We asked Mr. Doolittle if he could estimate or guess how long it might take before work on the rehab actually begins. He replied that, including the above-mentioned 45-day grace period, and “provided that the revised plans are code compliant,” the rehab might commence in three months.
For background on the Municipal Court consent order and the overall renovation plan, click here.
– Charles Layton
Anybody want to bet?
Let’s get realistic. Koplitz is notorious for delay: paying his taxes, his fines, his “promises”, etc.
Blogfinger and Charles Layton have done a superlative job in documenting that over the past few years. The Sampler Inn disaster was a classic to illustrate Koplitz’ lack of commitment to Ocean Grove.
While the township may be moving through its archaic procedures, this may be time for some more effective efforts.
Neighbors of The Parkview Inn should request:
+–The Ocean Grove Homeowners Association to take a position reflecting
their needs.
+–The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to refuse publication of
ads for Koplitz’ two income-producing Ocean Grove properties — The Ocean Plaza and The Ocean View Inn — in their summer events brochure.
+–The Ocean Grove Chamber of Commerce to cease distributing flyers and any other information — printed or verbal — about those two properties.
Contacting these three organizations will basically be helpful to their cause –
and that of all homeowners in Ocean Grove.
Mr. Doolittle says “the rehab might commence within 3 months”…to which I reply…WHEN PIGS FLY.
Add me to the list of skeptics.
In the past, some readers of this blog have suggested I have a negative or “half glass full” point of view on the Koplitz brothers’ OG properties. So, on a positive note, I noticed that the broken railings on the Ocean View Inn have been fixed, and it looks like they have been painted. As for the Ocean Plaza, overflowing garbage cans (in full view from the street) are still an unsightly issue in MHO. This is an easy fix for the brothers Koplitz. Why not use some of the profits from the inns and invest in additional garbage cans and some neighborly good will!!
IMHO Ocean Grove would be much better off without any hotels, whether they be run down, like this one, or not. As long as what replaces them are charming victorian houses, I think they all should be torn down and replaced. Hotels attract lots of cars, itinerant visitors, garbage, etc. My vision of an awesome Ocean Grove is one where every house is owned by a single family (no duplexs, etc.), and there are no hotels or condos. I know I’ll never see that, but let’s start by demolishing this run-down shell and building a few nice houses.
My guess is that the future of the Park View will depend on whether Koplitz can get a construction loan for this rehab project. If not, he wouldn’t be able to live up to the consent order, and I imagine the place would then end up being demolished, for lack of other alternatives. It will be interesting to see what bank would give this guy a loan, given his history. We may find out the answer to this question in the next couple of months.
Bythesea… And effectively kill this town?
I. M. Radar: The OGHOA has a public meeting on the 4th Sat. of every month, usually at 10 a.m. in the Community Room. Any resident (even non-members) are given the opportunity to make comment, raise concerns, ask questions on just about anything, including derelict structures. Coffee, juice, and donuts for all attending!
Bullets rasies an interesting question: does this town rise or fall based on how many hotel rooms there are? My view is that over the past 25 years, hotels/rooming houses that were hotels have hurt this town far more than they have helped. Even today, only three of the hotels in town are nice — the rest are pretty dodgy, in my view.
The question is, if a town that relies heavily on tourism to support its economy converts to single family residences would it have a negative impact.
Ken…as an officer of the OGHOA wouldn’t it be appropriate if you expressed the sense of neighbors…at a public meeting or even at an officers/directors meeting? That would be great advocacy for Ocean Grove.
Radar….if you only knew. Also, to quote the famous Joe Krimko: “Cops shouldn’t be the judge.”
Bythesea: I like Ocean Grove just the way it is. I think they ruined Spring Lake, who did exactly what you propose: turning it into a community of sleepy bedrooms. Spring lake had grand hotels like the Monmouth (replaced by homes) and the Essex and Sussex (converted to a retirement sleeper) and the Shoreham (homes) and the Warren (homes). It could have been a wealthy, premiere resort destination with a first-rate downtown and a history. What is it now?: absolutely nothing. No past. No future. Just houses.
Wisher,
Just a hunch, but I’m thinking the homeowners in Spring Lake prefer their town just the way it is (i.e., exclusive, with just a few B & B’s). Have a feeling many Ocean Grovers, especially the year-rounders, feel the same (well, maybe not the “exclusive” part!).
Ken: If I only knew what?
I am familiar with the advocacy issue that historically gave the OGHOA its start
and the current focus by one of its consistent leaders on the Broadway issue.
But I am also familiar with the “old boy” attitude that some of your colleagues take with (excuse the expression) “the establishment” be it the township or the
Camp Meeting Association.
In respect to the “famous” Joe Krimko: citizens and taxpayers have every
right to seek relief from those who govern them as well as advocacy
assistance from those organizations they may seek to join–political, civic, or
otherwise. It’s the American way.
Radar…Attend an OGHOA public meeting and advocate as you wish; I advocate as I may.
Ocean Grove is a single family community and the Master Plan has been a single family community, not a condo town.
If I remember right when a B&B could no longer conform to fire and safety standards the building was to be torn down and replaced with ONE family homes.
Ken…help me.
What is the mission of the OGHOA? (Please don’t refer me to its website.) As an officer I would appreciate your interpretation. (Beyond the limited individualized approach cited above.)
Spring Lake seems like a good model to me. While I hate the word “exclusive,” if it means that the town has as owners folks who invest in and carefully maintain their properties, then I think Ocean Grove needs to become a little more “exclusive”.
“God helps those that help themselves.”
Hey Radar: The OGHOA should not settle for anything in this town but SINGLE family home. This would conform to O.G.’s history and keep the historic landscape consistant.
Instead the OGHOA backs up condo’s being built, even though they are destroying the towns parking, because everything being built does not conform to the MLUL as per the mayor’s wishes.
The idea of building these condo’s to make them look Victorian is a joke, they are still condos.
Jan is right. I hope these town officials paid their dues.
“Gosh” says that Ocean Grove’s “historical landscape” is about single family homes. But, in 1875, when the first railroad arrived that stopped in Ocean Grove, 50,000 people visited the town that season. They had to stay somewhere. If you have ever seen early photos of the Camp Meeting throngs holding services on the beach, you would see Coney Island—so crowded that someone might bite your sandwich while you were holding it. Those people were staying in hotels and boarding houses.
Hotels—large buildings– have been a big part of the Grove’s history. I don’t know when they were built, but a list of “hotels” in OG in 1939 included 77 buildings. (ref: Gibbons: History of Ocean Grove 1869-1939 ).
NOTE: I would love to see single family homes instead of condos in the OG of 2012, but let’s not re-write history. PG
Critical to performing as an effective community leader is the ability to develop and to communicate goals that are in support of an organization’s mission.
Spring Lake is great, but their downtown area is barely visited and poorly populated. Ocean Grove has always been a retreat town worth the services to support it. Eliminating hotels and the crowds they bring would also eliminate the businesses that have become a part of this community. Days and Nagles and all the other Main Ave stores rely on visitors to operate.
Paul: There were hotels and B&B’s in 1875 but you forget there were also HORSES as transportation, not cars.
I’m sure when the people did have auto’s they parked outside of town on Sundays. And Gee they had parking when they were in town, but don’t forget many people took trains and buses and even with 50,000 people in town there was plenty of parking because there weren’t that many cars. You didn’t have 2 or 3 cars per family back in the day.
I also know that the local politics DID use the state mandates that had to supply parking for there homes. That’s why you have all these garages and driveways in town.
P.S. The changes that will be made today will be history tomorrow. History is always changing, that’s why we should have guidelines for parking and no condo’s, and the history would read: The people of Ocean Grove took a stand and forced the township to allow parking for new homes, and stopped condo’s that almost destroyed the integrity of the town in 2012.
I Forgot….Bullets: Do you really think that the people in the hotels are supporting Nagel’s and Days? Take a look in the fall after the vacationers are gone and see who supports these places. By the way, did you ever count the number of hotels left? You might be surprised there aren’t many at all.
Grandfather the few existing hotels and the b&b’s–and the existing condos.
But that’s it. Only one-family homes from now on.
Condos have been motivated by greed.
The bottom line, imho, is that Ocean Grove needs some sort of sensible and enforceable parking plan. Even if the town becomes all single family, there are only so many available spaces. Those of us in the North End see people parking cars and taking the footbridges and boardwalk into Asbury to avoid parking fees all the time. There are even people who park cars all season long on Ocean to use as beach equipment storage units! I suggest a resident permit plan, commercial vehicle ban outside of business areas and time limits (no meters) along Ocean. Establish areas where visitor parking is permitted, along Main for example. Keep and heavily promote the shuttles with off-site parking. Keep them running until the end of all Auditorium events, not stop at 5 or whatever. Will this solve all the problems, no. Will it make everyone happy, certainly not. Reject these, fine, then smarter people than I need to come up with other plans and alternatives. The town needs to bite the bullet and implement SOMETHING. Status quo ain’t working anymore.
Met a woman from Avon this weekend and she raved about Ocean Grove. Perhaps one of the reasons she loves our little town so much is that she parks her car at the north end then walks her grandkids over to the kiddie waterpark in Asbury Park. As she puts it, this saves her money because she doesn’t have to pay for parking in Asbury Park. I should have asked her if she was using her “savings” to buy ice cream at Days or Nagles.
Actually, Days in Asbury Park is closer for her.
RADAR: Condos have been motivated by GREED and REVENUE that they bring into Neptune. There is absolutely no interest in keeping O.G. historic with single family homes; just look at the new Master Plan— there are so many gray areas for interpretation.
PARKING: I had sent copys of an ordinance that Cape May uses for parking and I had given copys to the OGHOA and to Neptune officials. As usual the Historical Society didn’t even want to listen, and R. Bishop said it wouldn’t work. But it worked for Cape May that is quite larger then O.G.
I can give you a brief idea how it works. Many homes in Cape May have meters, so if a home qualifies, they purchase ONE parking spot in front of their home, and the meter is removed. I believe at the time the cost was about $300.00 per parking spot. This would be perfect for the North End.
But thank you, Mayor. He needs the room for more condos.
Gosh is right on condo issue. Unfortunately OGHOA doesn’t have slightest idea how to deal with problem.
As a starter on parking, there are solutions to relieve Ocean Grove on
10 intense weekends during peak season. Day-trippers can be accommodated for beaches and downtown–also a bit of Auditorium attractions– with creative approaches to parking outside the enclave and fun supplementary transportation. Dealing with Asbury Park “refugees” can also be handled.)
Takes vision, economic support, and collaboration of Camp Meeting Association, the Chamber of Commerce, the township, and the school district.
The simplest solution to parking on the North End, which is a common one used many places where there is a free-rider problem (i.e., Asbury-bound visitors avoiding paying for parking in Asbury) is to make everything north of the Ocean Pathway permit only parking. Each household could purchase up to two permits. OG would charge a modest fee (say $50 per permit per 6 months) to offset the costs of administering the program. The permits, which would hang from the rear-view mirror and could be shared between cars, would be issued to residents who own property north of the Ocean Pathway. All others will be towed (which would yield some good money in fines, I’m sure).
This is such a simple solution, used so many places, that it amazes me that this issue is still not resolved. Everybody wins, except folks from AP.
It is a surprise to see permit parking raised again; might signify a worsening problem. Many NJ communites have passed permit parking ordinances to ease the burden of its residents that have to deal with “free-riders”, day-trippers, and those who use the streets as a free long-term outdoor parking facility.
Isn’t it amazing how the “I want to be able to park in front of my house” crowd hijack every story and turn it into a whine and cry fest about parking in the Grove.
Waterseller; For me it isn’t a whine and cry fest.
As Ogrover stated, we on the North End see daily, during the week, and on weekends, the large numbers of people who park here and go straight into AP. And why not? I would if I could park free so close to my destination. And yes, there are vans who remain parked, one in particular, who hasn’t moved all summer long. We often wonder if the person is living in it!!!
Unfortunately I have no solutions to this situation. Maybe residential parking permits should be looked into?
It’s a problem that is growing, and I don’t look forward to next summer with the huge condo building going up on Surf between Beach and Central. I can’t even imagine next summer with this place filled!! Oy!!
The “free-riders” is a red herring of an issue. Asbury Avenue and the blocks immediately south are always packed from end to end with cars, in June, July and January. There are large multi-room homes and apartments along those streets that account for the number of cars. This has been a tough street to park on long before Asbury put meters in.
I still don’t understand the aversion to meters like Belmar. Put them in on Memorial Day, take them out on Labor Day, done. Or do what Hoboken does, one side for residents with permits, the other for guests.
How about the fact that it is a public street, and you don’t have this perceived right to park in front of your house, nor do you have the right to put furniture, kids toys, family heirlooms, cannons or wonders of the world to save your spot and expect people to honor it. I have a right to park my legally registered and insured vehicle legally anywhere I please. If you moved into Ocean Grove and weren’t aware there was a parking issue, then you’re a fool. This is the price you pay to live here.
There is always parking west of Central and south of Main even on the busiest days. There was plenty of parking on Ocean this past weekend.
Waterseller: it is NOT about being able to just park in front of your house, since that rarely happens here anyway, It IS about being able to park anywhere close to your neighborhood or even in YOUR OWN HOME TOWN in some cases! Any future development or housing starts, single family, condo, hotel, B & B or whatever, have to take into account some sort of parking plan; it is just common sense.
FYI, I live on Abbott, but I am concerned about my neighbors on the North End.
If you walk around the North End on a weekend, you’ll see that it’s not about folks whining about parking in front of their house; it’s about folks wanting to be able to part within 4 blocks of their house.
The situation up there is just unacceptable, and I think that the OGCMA and Neptune really owe the owners a solution. Permit parking, as I described above, is not a guarantee of a space in front of your house, as the permits are not for a particular space — rather, they would simply allow the permit holder to park anywhere north of the Ocean Pathway. The goal is to prevent “outsiders” from parking on these few, very narrow and congested streets. OG should not have to be a parking lot for AP.
Ogrover and Jason….One NJ town adopted an ordinance that directly addresses your concern about being able to park reasonably close to your residence. The solution: establish a district of contiguous blocks of the problem area and issue car stickers to residents within that are valid for parking on the districts streets. Any vehicles parked without the required sticker are towed. While it does not guarentee a parking spot, it gives you a good shot.
I am also concerned about my friends/neighbors on the North SIde. But, I would like to point out that parking on the South Side is becoming increasingly difficult. This past weekend, as I was walking to the beach from my home, I ran into a guy who was complaining that he had to park farther away from the beach than ever before. I wanted to say, “Hey Mr., be thankful that the parking is free.” I really think that people take the free parking for granted. If the North Side gets parking permits, or whatever is decided, it must be the case for all of OG. The traffic will only spill over to the South Side, and its getting crowded already! Also, I am totally perplexed as to why free parking is offered in the parking lot at the end of Broadway. Why shouldn’t people have to pay for premium parking. Asbury charges for their lots in the summer and they are packed. I don’t think 10 dollars per car is too much to ask to park your car less than 1 block from the beach. And it would generate lots of extra revenue!
Wrong again, Bullets…. According to the SITES Comm. that set parking standards throughout the state, as an advisory board they can suggest how and what type of parking would work for your town, and all homes in the state are allowed at least one parking spot in front of their home.
Our current mayor along with a previous mayor and the president of the OGHOA had gone to Trenton to apply for Special Standard Parking for O.G. This would allow absolutely no parking standard in town, exactly how it is now.
A few of us had shown photos of the 22 condos on the Pathway and other properties that had been built with no parking. The SITES Comm. was astounded with what has transpired in the Grove and ordered Neptune to revert to the Standard Parking Standards used in the state. Unfortunately, the mayor has refused to abide. Neptune was also told to come up with a parking solution that would work for O.G. and to include the N. End in this plan. (Nothing has happened since.)
This standard allows for any new construction to have a garage and condos to supply at least one parking spot per condo. That’s why the N. End construction when it ever happens has to supply parking for the condos.
The reason why Neptune has refused to follow the Standard Parking Standard is that new construction on homes and condos would have to be built smaller and this would bring in less revenue. Get it?
Neptune says new construction with a garage would not conform to O.G standards. As you can see, it can work and look good in the Grove, and these builders have taken advantage of not supplying parking.
I don’t see how I am wrong… The town is supposed to provide parking, I understand that; however, there are few state laws that restrict where I can park my vehicle. While the town is supposed to create a physical space for each new residence, that space does not belong, or is not reserved for, the resident of that new construction.
Unless the town passes an ordinance, but that is a different issue.
While I do like the idea of permit parking, I think one permit per home is unfair. Some houses are tiny, others large. More equitable would be to make the number of permits per home proportional to property tax or square footage, e.g. one permit per $7000 in property tax or one permit per 1000 sq ft.