By Charles Layton
Rear view of 35 Embury. Photo by Charles Layton
We have learned that one of Ocean Grove’s worst derelict buildings — the home at 35 Embury Avenue — has been purchased by a Long Branch company and that it most likely will be torn down.
The closing took place last Friday. Purchase price was said to be $205,000.
A permit would be required to demolish the property, but people both in and out of the Township government seem to agree that the building is unsafe and should be torn down.
On August 11, then-owner Beatrice Albano of Brooklyn, NY, pleaded guilty in Municipal Court to maintenance violations and agreed to correct the problems within two months. However, on August 30 Neptune Township’s Construction Department issued an unsafe structure notice for the property. Committeewoman Mary Beth Jahn said at the time that Bill Doolittle, head of Construction, did not believe the building could be saved.
The unoccupied house is quite large. According to real estate records it has 13 bedrooms and three bathrooms. It has rotted wood throughout. Huge areas lack paint and boards have pulled loose, leaving large cracks and holes for rain to enter the building.
Local attorney William Gannon told me that he had the opportunity to go on a walk-through inspection of the place a couple of months ago and “it is in very bad structural condition.” Asked what the problems are, Gannon said, “You name it.” He said the floors were so unsafe that he could not even complete his inspection.
Another person we spoke to who had been inside the place said it had been neglected for so long that pigeons and seagulls were nesting in there, with all of the filth that implies. “Horrible” was this witness’s general description.
People familiar with the sale say that the buyer intends to build a single-family home, assuming the Township gives permission for demolition of the existing building.
With this sale, 35 Embury joins two other problem buildings in Ocean Grove that seem finally to be on a path toward some kind of resolution. The derelict home at 91 Cookman Avenue was purchased in June by local developer Jack Green, who plans to renovate it. And the absentee owners of another problem building — at 80 Main Avenue — agreed earlier this month to renovate, following a lengthy legal struggle with the Township.
Part of the problem (no surprise) was the owner. To my knowledge, this house was listed with at least one other real estate agency for quite a bit more money. At that time, the seller refused to lower the price despite strong suggestions to do so.
So I’m guessing over a long period of time, the seller ‘saw the light’ – the combo of no buyers, and now Neptune Township, started to notice the serious condition the building was in…. suddenly the price really went down!
“cute” and “ugly” are in the eye of the beholder. Those two words do not appear anywhere in the Historic District Ordinance. Some big boxy houses were built in Ocean Grove; individualism and eclectic architecture, as Ocean Grove was developed, is historical fact.
Editor’s note: We really would appreciate someone from HPC or HSOG to answer Christina’s question. I wonder how many Grovers actually know the answer. Paul @Blogfinger
Anonymous, why would you want to renovate this particular house? It’s ugly and has absolutely no architectural charm– just because it’s a huge box doesn’t mean someone should have to pay tons of money to make it a liveable box. I hope whatever house they build is cute and keeps the Ocean Grove look, and I definitely hope they keep the single-family plan!
Ken, I disagree that it should be up to neighbors to complain before the Township takes action. Neptune Township trucks are visible in the Grove just about every day. How many times did they pass 35 Embury in the past two (or five) years? Even if the inspectors riding inside aren’t Code Enforcement, but are inspecting new construction, do they not work in the same office? Plus, I tend to think that “independent” inspections would send a much stronger message to recalcitrant property owners than knowing that a neighbor had to complain to get them a violation. And do we know if neighbors did, indeed, complain about 35 Embury long before it reached this point?
Ken, I think many people are getting involved and that Blogfinger is helping that to come about. There have been enough fires in town to raise the awareness that “ratting out” is needed. There is a problem house in my neighborhood and a petition was circulated and we are awaiting the results. This was not anonymous, names and addresses were stated on the petition. We will follow up after the 6-month period that the homeowners were granted to make corrections has expired in December.
What disturbs me most about this impending demolition is that it took so many years for ANYBODY to report, complain about, make known to Neptune officials the deterioration taking its toll and/or follow up on it. Don’t give me that “ratting out” excuse for keeping it to yourself. How many more houses are falling apart in plain view of nearby neighbors who do not wish to “get involved”? Anyone can make an anonymous complaint by phone or mail.
I was in it once and it made me sad to think someone had once lived in this home. It was unfit for an animal. I was hoping someone would renovate it if only because you could never build a house that big in Ocean Grove again. However, the Board of Adjustment’s ruling on Ocean Pathway makes it much easier for someone to demolish it and then build a new house the same size.