This photo of the North End is from our October 30, 2016 post titled, “North End Plan celebrates its ninth anniversary of…broken promises.” Blogfinger photo ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
In the October 30, 2016 BF article we said, “Isn’t it time to bring in a new North End plan? This one is a losing proposition and should be replaced by something that will improve the town, not the developers and politicians. Where are the Home Groaners??”
We have made it crystal clear in multiple past articles that the only official North End Redevelopment Plan was passed by the Township Committee in 2008, and since then no changes have been made. Only the Township Committee can make changes and if they wanted to do so they would have to start the whole process over again including public hearings, redeveloper bidding, etc. And note that the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is still part of the plan as the land owner. WAVE is still the redeveloper, and the identities of the people involved in WAVE have yet to be made public.
And finally no Redevelopers Agreement has been signed between WAVE and the Neptune Township Committee.
Regarding the so-called “New NERP,” below is a link to our last post regarding this subject. It shows a concept drawing illustrating a sharp reduction in residential units. Nothing has changed since this April 28, 2015 Blogfinger article.
On November 26, 2016, at the latest OG Homeowners Assoc. meeting, one of the topics discussed was the North End redevelopment. Since the President was not present, the meeting was presided over by Vice President Richard Williams.
According to our reporter, Williams stated that he hoped the North End would “rise up and be re-developed.” Williams asserted that there was “a new plan which would cut the density in half.”
But he seriously misinformed the membership in a very public way. He evidently didn’t know that the “new plan” lies dead and dormant and thus is totally useless.
Certainly the Township Attorney, Gene Anthony, has never agreed that such a new plan has ever been legally approved, even though ex-Committeeman Randy Bishop spoke publicly about it in 2015, as did HOA officials who have bragged in the past that they made the new plan happen.
At last Saturday’s meeting, during the public comment portion, Grover Jack Bredin brought out the truth that “the new plan was never approved by the Township.” He also reminded the HOA that the NERP is a public project, so there is no rationale for the HOA to make their case to the Camp Meeting Association.
He also responded to complaints by members at the meeting that if they were worried about trash, weeds, sloppy fencing, or any other messes at the North End, that would be the Township’s job to correct, not the CMA.
It really would be a wonderful service if the Home Groaners actually told the truth to the public. The HOA trustees should slow down, go out for coffee, and get their facts straight.
DAVID LOUD and the cast of 70, Girls, 70.
OhGee: The Township took over the responsibility to “clean up” and to redevelop the North End property when the property was designated an Area in Need of Redevelopment on June 11, 2007. And they have continued to have that responsibility up to the present.
Also, the Township has already spent many thousands of tax dollars to prepare the North End Redevelopment Plan which was officially approved on March 24, 2008.
Q: How much was spent?
A: The financial records were destroyed.
OhGee: Jack Bredin made this point at the HOA meeting, so we will await his response to your question. He addressed the issue because a number of Grovers complained about the condition of that North End property.—Paul
Hi Paul, question for you – why do you feel it is Neptune Township’s responsibility to clean up t trash, weeds, sloppy fencing, etc at the North End? That property is owned by the CMA. I wouldn’t want my tax dollars spent on a cleanup of their property. If anything, CMA should be slapped with a fine for not doing their job.
The North End of Ocean Grove; 38 years of a vacant lot unmarred by progress.
The parking lot should have been built long ago. Shame shame shame.
Dr. Goldfinger, you’re articles on the NERP are like a bulldozer rolling over that ill conceived 2008 Redevelopment plan.
The Plan does not advance the Camp Meeting Associations’ mission statement.
Dr. Elwood Stokes would be proud of all your efforts.