Ocean Pathway, Ocean Grove. Stop condoization of the Grove. Blogfinger photo ©
The big multi-condo at #32 and the smaller multi-condo at #30 were built in 2010—-both without providing parking–in defiance of RSIS NJ State Standards. Some say that #32 is taller than the Great Auditorium. The late 19th century Albatross has 46 rooms and also has no parking, but it was built before cars existed. There were historic 19th century Victorian Hotels on the Ocean Pathway, but they are gone, and condos are not historic reincarnations and should not have been allowed. Blogfinger photo February 2016/ ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
This seems like a fine topic to help clear this thing up, but whereas Blogfinger has been covering the RSIS controversy since our seminal review in 2011, the OGHOA has totally ignored this matter. Now they are taking some heat for being blind to the RSIS controversy, so they want to become instant experts.
But we have been posting Kevin Chamber’s solid arguments about RSIS and we recently suggested that the HOA bring in an unbiased outside expert to review the matter with all of us. But instead we are getting more HOAHA (Home Owners Association Hot Air.)
After all, where were they when Kevin, Jack and I went to Trenton to the Department of Community Affairs to the hearing regarding RSIS in Ocean Grove? They didn’t show up.
And if you go to their website, you will find nothing about this topic. If they thought it was so important, wouldn’t you find it there? Instead their site pays no attention to the threat of condoization in town and the implications of the RSIS parking standards. There is no useful discussion of the North End’s many issues. And the President’s message takes credit for what the HOA did about 20 years ago to bring the Grove back to life and she brags about a useless and possibly illegal meeting which the HOA held with the CMA regarding the NERP over a year ago.
If you must know, the parking/RSIS meeting is on Feb. 27 at 10 am in the community room. Hopefully some people who are not fly-by-night experts will show up. Meanwhile, if you want to avoid a snow job, prepare by searching Blogfinger for any article with RSIS as a keyword.
Here is a link to that 2011 comprehensive piece on the subject.:
And here is a link about Kevin Chambers views:
PAOLO NUTINI and the PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND
Phil: In our November 2015 poll, 85% of respondents favored 25 single family homes at the North End over the NERP density. In January 2016, 81% favored the cancellation of the North End Redevelopment Plan in favor of the original single family zoning. The NERP will provide 160 new residential units, most of which will be condos, and there will be a hotel.
As for considering those big box condo buildings as having a “beautiful contextual Victorian look,” you agree with the Historic Preservation Commission which approved the designs and with the Township that allowed the construction in violation of State Residential Site Improvement (parking) Standards (RSIS).
In all our discussions of this topic, you are the first to say that you like the look of condominiums in the Grove.
I do realize you are not calling for tearing anything down.
The blog post does illustrate clearly, however, the difference between what lots of Blogfinger readers feel, and what I feel. People wish that the Albatross had a few single-family homes next to it now.
I think the construction of those two condominium multifamily buildings that have a beautiful contextual Victorian look and the same height as the Albatross is a big success.
Phil. This article merely points out that the Albatross is a historic hotel in town. No one has officially proposed that it be turned into condos, so let’s not start controversies where none exist.
An existing hotel can be modernized and continued as a hotel. But if it burns down or is demolished, the zoning requires that a single family house would replace it. The Manchester Inn burned down, and a single family house was built on each of its lots.
The large condo building on Ocean Pathway replaced two crummy historic hotels. I don’t know the history of that progression.
And your contention that I want old hotels “torn down” is pure fiction. Please stick to the facts.
This post nicely highlights where I am completely confused by your main thesis — that the restoration of a hotel such as the Albatross (pictured above) and conversion from perhaps 20 hotel rooms to 10 condos, is a blight and anti-historical. You would rather see it torn down — bulldozer beautification.
I think the opposite way.
Nancy: Just because the HOA officers are volunteers doesn’t make them immune from criticism. They have implemented policies which favor the developers, the condoizers, the Camp Meeting, and anyone else that would turn Ocean Grove into a more commercial, more congested and less historic place.
HOA policies go against the known wishes of Ocean Grovers who want their Homeowners Association to be supportive of family life styles and of accurate historic restorations and reproductions.
The people want single family home zoning and a non-commercial North End. When was the last time the HOA surveyed their membership regarding such preferences? When has the HOA taken an aggressive stance against those forces which would turn us into any old shore town?
Why are you defensive of people who would ruin our town? You don’t have to wait for an election to force them to get on the right side of these issues. We have seen the enemy, and they are us!
Nancy: You are correct that the OGHOA is run by volunteers. That is why they should not pretend that they are experts. They should have arranged to have a professional, for example a municipal land use lawyer, make the presentation at that forthcoming meeting regarding the RSIS parking standards and how they impact land use decisions in the Grove.
The OGHOA is run by volunteers. They are not paid, but are doing the best that they can for the town. If members don’t like it (and membership is open to any homeowner for a very small amount), then they should vote out the leadership.
Township officials are paid and voted on. The real power is in voting. If someone doesn’t like what is happening, s/he should work to vote out the bad guys and vote in the good ones.
Cheryl: I am a journalist. My task is to inform the people of Ocean Grove about OG news, opinions, music, medicine and photography. I’ll leave the sleazy politics to others who are so inclined.
Why don’t you run for Pres. of OGHOA?