By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
We have seen the beginnings of what may be a trend, and that is homeowners in Ocean Grove who have left or are thinking about leaving because they are dissatisfied with the town.
We personally know 11 families who fall in that category and we wonder how many of you have observed a similar phenomenon.
In the last 15 years or so, there have been positive indicators and negative indicators. On the positive side we have the impressive improvement in the historical architectural stock due largely to confident investing by homeowners optimistic about our historic town. This beautification is the most obvious variable that makes the Grove special. The Ocean doesn’t count because every shore town has that.
And second, there has been a visible change for the better in terms of demographics and diversity. We have seen more young families move here, often as second homers, and they inject a dimension of energy and new ideas.
Along with them come rising home values as OG has been discovered by urban dwellers who want to get away to the beach in about 1 1/2 hours. We also are attracting many young single people who are finding the town to be attractive. No more “Ocean Grave.”
I guess we can classify A. Park as a positive overall, because it offers an opportunity for Grovers to enjoy more lifestyle options next door.
But, on the negative side, we see that the Grove has become more and more popular for tourists resulting in unprecedented congestion, beach crowding and parking issues.
The town has been developing in a disorderly way, without a clear vision for the future. This is largely due to the inbred agendas of various players including the Township Committee, CMA, developers, and OG organizations that show insufficient regard for the lifestyles and best interests of those who actually live here.
The Township itself seems to have little interest in those who live in Ocean Grove, except for their fascination with our tax money and their tendency to do favors for certain privileged citizens. (Note: the zoning favors for Mary’s Place and the inappropriate approvals for condominium conversions.)
Now we have this current disturbing emergence of the CMA as an entitled bully, acting as if it still can steer the future of OG in a direction that suits their “mission” without mentioning a word about the needs of those who live in town. They have gone backward in the area of secular entertainment in the Auditorium and they have increased their efforts to bring more visitors and crowding into town, including plans to have more year-round religious programming.
But the CMA cannot avoid blow-back over this. Their good will in town may become eroded. Much of their income comes from Grovers.
So what is the net effect of all this? Any ideas?
KERMIT RUFFINS from New Orleans, a town that knows who it is.
OG Lover…I stepped in it twice last week in “my own” grass strip. I thought about getting a poop bag machine (like they have in dog parks) to put outside of my house. I even made my own sign “All dogs are welcome but please do not pee in the garden”. I guess I should have added “do not poop”…I thought that would go without saying. I was wrong.
For the third day in a row I have woken up to a huge pile of dog doody on my lawn.The first two days I picked it up but today I’m leaving it with a sign that says
“Pick up after your dog, it’s the law” I also supplied doggy poop bags. I have found this summer’s visitors/renters to much louder, ruder with little respect for others property. Anyone else see a difference? I’ve been here since 1999 so this is new for me. Just venting.
I am not denigrating anyone. I am simply stating that I, for one, don’t see that Ocean Grove is as diverse as it once was. And I have lived here for a long time.
I also think the steady stream of Air BNB summer rentals is detrimental to the quality of life here. And the latter is at an all time high here in OG.
Shelley: It takes all kinds to make a community—we need a tapestry of citizens. And that includes families with money. When I first bought a home in Ocean Grove in 1998, it was disproportionately populated by senior citizens, and you almost never saw a toddler or a teenager or a young couple holding hands in the parks. At that time, the town was beginning to ascend, but there were many neglected properties all over town that needed investment.
And some seniors did leave because they couldn’t afford their homes, or to repair their homes, or they needed to downsize. They were not forced out by Yahoos in Jaguars.
Newcomers who invest their money in the Grove should be seen as positive influences on the overall success of the town.
Rising home prices and taxes are inevitable, especially at the shore, so you can’t blame the young stockbroker down the street for that. Many of those families chose OG rather than the Hamptons–they can see that a Mac-mansion is out of the question here, and they are looking for the same things that we are in the Grove. They do not expect OG to become Gramercy Park.
As far as artists, musicians, shopkeepers, waiters, seniors, etc are concerned, we do need to have affordable housing for them, because they add character and joy to a town. Most Grovers seem to want the sort of diversity that you are talking about.
As far as “investors” who buy properties for their rental potential, that has been going on forever in the Grove; but I sense that some of the second homers, who come year-round, have bought houses that would have, in the past, been purchased for rental.
We turned our 2 family into an official one family, and we thought that was a good thing for the town, and we still think so, although buying a duplex here where the owner has one side and the other is a rental is a great formula to keep homes available for renters while providing income and a vacation place for owners.
Renters are an important part of the mosaic here for obvious reasons. I suspect that you were not denigrating renters with your comment about rental properties.
And finally you don’t like the idea that white people are still moving here, especially those with money. Maybe you want to restate your point about that.
I totally disagree that there has been a change for the better in terms of demographics and diversity. High taxes and property values have forced many artists, seniors and families to abandon Ocean Grove. In their place, we have gotten upper middle class white people who can afford a $600,000+ home with five figure property taxes or real estate “investors” who buy a home for its rental income potential.
The Camp Meeting Association is Ocean Grove’s “landlord.” In addition to income from a wide range of property leases, it sells beach badges, it sells
tickets to shows, it sells books, discs, etc.and a few hot dogs in addition to passing the plate. But as a landlord it is absent when it comes to offering solutions that would enhance its service and events. What is its plan to alleviate the parking problem? What is its plan to reduce overabundant population density instead of supporting more condos for more revenue?
CMA is definitely an absent landlord. In the Christian spirit, one would hope there is more of an outreach to the community. Flowers are not enough.