Sent by Estella: 1904 “..was up and down the boardwalk until 9:30 o’clock.”
On June 3, Frank S., a resident of Ocean Grove, commented regarding our failure to obtain FEMA funding. He said, “Could OGCMA place a special assessment of $250 to $500 on its approximately 3000 homeowners/tenants ??”
No one reacted to his suggestion, even though the idea could have produced $1.5 million. Now we see that there is a precedent going back to 1885.
Rich Amole, amateur OG history sleuth, found this news item in a long out-of-print book called “The Story of Ocean Grove…1869-1919.” The book was copyright in 1919 by the author Morris Daniels, a trustee of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association.
Rich says, “That paragraph is on page 265 and relates to a storm of 11/25/1885.”
The book goes on to say that the citizens responded with “spirit” and that “the responses were a great encouragement to the Association.” The assessments were voluntary. The total expense, including the repairs to the sewer amounted to $6,500.00 with the remaining $1,500.00 paid by the CMA.
J.H. Thornley, one of the members of the Executive Committee and D.H. Brown, Esq, the treasurer, “drove the nails next to the last, and the president the last in the the new boardwalk at 11:40 am, June 18 1885. …..refreshments and general congratulations followed.”
As many of you know, there were quite a few destructive storms that clobbered the Grove over the ensuing years, and there were a number of boardwalks and piers that were rebuilt by the OGCMA and perhaps the citizens as well.
At no time, until 1992, did the Federal government (FEMA) ever help with rebuilding a boardwalk here. At that time, the government had decided that it was its responsibility to help communities after bad storms, and that n’oreaster caused horrid damage to the beachfront.
In 1993 the rules were changed, and we have now been excluded by FEMA because of a technicality. FEMA has focused on the ownership of the boardwalk instead of focusing on our citizens who deserve to have their very public boardwalk restored by FEMA, so as to provide us with the same economic, safety, emergency, life style and access advantages that other neighboring towns have.
In addition, the CMA, in 1885, recognized that a boardwalk improved the financial value of all the homes in the Grove. Those of you homeowners in town who cheered FEMA for denying help to the CMA are out of step with history, with fair logic and with your own financial interest.
—Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Annette Hanshaw–“It All Depends on You.”
“Voluntary” is the operative word. Anyone at anytime may voluntarily pay additional ground rent. The LEASE does allow for some changes but the ground rent appears sacrosanct.
BTW A proposed special assessment for improvement of the business district failed last time; I doubt it would succeed if tried again.
144 YEARS LATTER THE LAND LEASE IS STILL A BASIC OF $IO.50.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE CMA DID NOT HAVE A PROVISION IN THE LEASE THAT ALLOWED FOR A CHANGE IN THE AMOUNT. INSTEAD OF AN ASSESMENT APPROACH, PERHAPS, SUPPORTING THE CMA WITH DONATIONS, AS WE ARE DOING NOW, IS THE WAY TO GO.
You should all read your leases! I have been so worried about the clause that I may not reside in my home except between May 15 and Oct. 30:
“…And Also that the said Party of the Second part shall not … use or occupy said premises or any part or any building or other structure thereon or suffer or permit the same or any part thereof to be used or occupied as a Boarding House or any Mercantile or mechanical trade or purpose or in any other way or for any purpose whatsoever except as a temporary residence and seaside resort for and during the term commencing the fifteenth day of May and ending with the thirteenth day of October of each year.”
I, for one, would be willing to pay an extra $200 per year if the CMA would remove this clause from my leasehold.
I am embarrassed to say that I never read my lease. Does it allow for special assessments? I know that co-ops and condo communities do special assessments all the time (e.g., repave the parking lot, new roofs, new elevator), A special assessment of say $100 a year for each of the next 5 years would be a great way to raise funds with no pain.
I agree the rent could go up $100/year and not cause hardship to most. Just think what the CMA could do w the extra funds to improve the infrastructure of the town.
There might be an issue, however, with the leases being set for 99 years. I do know most of the newer condo projects pay significantly more than the $10ish/year than I do.
The subject of the CMA increasing ground to $200 or more was raised at the first town hall meetings held after Superstorm Sandy. It was suggested by another member of the audience that the CMA, which is a ministry, accepts donations, so that anyone who wants to voluntarily pay more rent can easily do so.
With all the gentrification going on in the Grove, I think it’s easy to forget that there are people living here, including old timers, who will find that a rent increase is too much on top of the already high cost of living.
Devo : Rent is fixed from way back when homes were first built. I believe they are fixed/transferable in “perpetuity” which I think is fancy word for forever. However new construction such as condos and newly built homes I have been told pay much higher rent then century old homes.
I never thought of rent($10.50 year for old homes) as a means of revenue for OGCMA. Maybe way back then but certainly not now. I think that since all homeowners have lease agreement with OGCMA we are to abide by that this is how OGCMA can control/maintain certain things. Such as that OG is a dry town, etc. All this is not Neptunes rules but rather rules within homeowners leases. Even a homeowners tenants are supposed to abide by OGCMA lease.
It is all quite interesting and indeed unique to OG. Would love to hear/read others take on this.
Why is the rent not higher, given the numerious things that need to be done around town, some of which were mentioned above? I’m not taling about Sandy, just stuff like fixing the fountain. If rent were $200-300 per year, think about how nice they could make things over a 3-4 year period.
CMA — are you listening?
Excellent comments. The CMA has often quoted a figure of $3-3.5 million for the entire three phases of the oceanfront project including stage I= middle beach; stage II= north end from Sea View to Asbury Park, and stage III=pier.
Of course we don’t know if the Feds (ie FEMA by way of the State) will give us money and if they will approve of the specifications for redoing our oceanfront project as designed by the CMA. But HOORAY for the Together Fund and the volunteer workers. Ocean Grove is the only town on the Jersey Shore whose citizens and friends have done so much volunteer labor and have donated nearly $1.5 million to help ourselves.
Despite all the frustrations regarding how we have been treated so far in terms of government help, we have much to be proud of regarding this community’s character in getting things done on our own. You can be sure that whatever occurs, Ocean Grove will rebuild its boardwalk.
And don’t forget that the Army Corps of Engineers will soon be engaged in beach replenishment in the Grove, and we will be treated equally in that department with 100% Federal financing of the project. If only FEMA would treat us equally as well!
The problem is, if I have my facts straight, we need $3.5 million more dollars to complete all repairs. I am a strong supporter of the idea of a compulsory assessment of $200 per houshold for two years ($400 in total). I’m sure that everyone in town could swing $200 in a year.
While this is hardly a radical thought, I would argue that raising the rent by $200 (meaning the $200 is incremental to what is now paid) makes all kinds of sense as a permenant change. That way, the CMA would have a war chest the next time the Grove expereinces destruction. Also, they could use some of the proceeeds for long overdue projects like fixing the Founders Park fountain, putting in nicer street lights and signage, renovations of the GA, sidewalk restoration, etc.
The notion of a business improvement district with special leveies is well established and many towns do this. Why not Ocean Grove? It would make the town nicer and the proerty values higher.
as of Weds $40,000 short of $1.5 million goal
Thanks Blogfinger. Sometimes I think no one listens to me. Since I am on a roll here is another unrelated idea that also has historical precedent : Ocean Grove should secede from Neptune.
I think they’re there or close to it.
How close have the voluntary contributions come to the CMA’s $1.5 million goal?