By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger and Jack Bredin, Blogfinger reporter/researcher.
At every Township Committee meeting, someone from the OGHOA stands up and asks the Neptune Township attorney whether WAVE finances have been settled in order to allow a Redevelopers Agreement to be signed. And each time they are told that no progress has been made.
However, those financial negotiations are only one item that needs to be addressed before a contract between WAVE and the Township is signed, and the Township and the Groaners need to read the North End Redevelopment Plan (NERP) which was signed in 2008 and which still remains in effect.
There is a North End Redevelopment Subcommittee which has been supposedly following the entire project since 2008, but they don’t seem to be meeting.
The following is a partial list of separate items that the Redevelopment Subcommittee and the OGHOA should have been following, because these issues need to be addressed before the Committee and a redeveloper sign a Redevelopers Agreement to develop the North End project.
Page 23 of the NERP: “The redevelopment agreement (s) shall contain provisions to ensure the timely construction of the redevelopment project, the qualifications, financial capability, and financial guarantees of the developers (s) and any other provisions necessary to assure the successful completion of the project.”
–Qualifications means, what has WAVE ever built?
–Financial capability means, do they have the money?
–Financial guarantees would require a letter of credit from a bank, payable to Neptune Township if the project is not completed on time pursuant to the Redevelopers Agreement.
–Timely construction of the project means a schedule of dates for when each phase of the project will be completed. The Subcommittee must prepare this schedule
Page 24 of the NERP: “A redeveloper shall be required to pay their proportional share of the cost of any studies, plans, reports, or analysis prepared by the Township or its designated redevelopment entity as part of the Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan. Any such payments required to reimburse the Township shall be specified in the Redeveloper Agreement.”
–The total could exceed $800,000.00, but according to an OPRA request, many financial records have been destroyed. They must be recovered by the Subcommittee.
Page 19 of the NERP—-under “property to be acquired:”
–“Neptune Township will limit its use of eminent domain to instances where there is a clear public purpose, such as roadway improvements.”
Page 8 and Page 13 of the NERP show a redevelopment map and minimum front yard setback requirements. These pages when viewed together, identify:
–The last block of Beach Avenue to the west.
–The boardwalk to the east.
–The Wesley Lake walkway to the north.
–These 3 are shown as existing municipal streets according to the plan, but they are not; and they need to be acquired through the process of eminent domain before the Redevelopment Contract is signed. We cannot rely on a fraudulent map.
Page 14 of the NERP—– Required offsite improvements: “The redeveloper shall reconstruct the structural retaining wall/bulkhead along the site’s frontage on Wesley Lake”
–What is the estimated cost of reconstructing the bulkhead?
Page 6 of the NERP:—-Boardwalk: “The site is bisected by the boardwalk which provides pedestrian access to Asbury Park to the north and to the Ocean Grove beachfront. The designated developer will be required to create a gateway design feature at the north end of the boardwalk”
–A gateway design feature has not been selected. It is now up to the Subcommittee to select this design feature such as a statue or monument for that location, along with the estimated cost.
Page 14 of the NERP: What is the estimated cost of “site improvements for streets, water supply, sanitary sewers, and storm water management facilities?”
Page 19 of the NERP—-Easements: “Provisions should be made for an easement to allow access to the eastern parcel (the Pavilion Building) for services, garbage collection, and deliveries.”
Several other major issues related to the NERP must be addressed:
–What is the estimated cost to prepare a plan for the underground parking garage? Currently there is no plan for a parking garage, and what is the estimated cost to build the parking garage?
–What is the estimated cost to excavate and remove the soil from the site?
–What are the estimated costs to drive the pilings and to construct the hotel? There also is no plan for pilings.
–What are the estimated costs to build the single-family houses and multi-family condominiums and townhouses?
–What are the estimated costs of rebuilding the North End Pavilion (ie the White Whale?)
–What are the estimated costs to rebuild the boardwalk to 60 feet, pursuant to the redevelopment plan, and at what elevation?
–What are the estimated costs to build a waterfront promenade along Wesley Lake?
–What are the estimated costs to build the proposed boat docks? And, can you have a boat dock in a detention basin?
–What are the estimated costs to build the pedestrian bridge over the boardwalk connecting the hotel and the pavilion.
Note: The Committee must be mindful that there will be only one (!) monolithic structure on Block (1). The pilings, parking garage, hotel and residential units are all attached.
Reporters’ Note: Before signing a contract with WAVE, the Township must have an estimated total cost of the project along with security bonds from WAVE in that total amount payable to the Township if the project is not completed on time.
So far, after 8 years, the Township Committee has nothing.
We do not need another Esperanza in Ocean Grove.
Please read the comments:
There are no OG songs, so try this one on for size:
We need a complete overhaul of the Twp Committee.
Mr. Curmudgeon, You are correct. In fact, it was a formal White Wedding.
Neptune Township had a white shotgun.
Mayor Brantley keeps it under his pillow at night, and will pass it on to the next Mayor.
Curmudgeon: It is true that complaining may seem to be a useless endeavor, but on Blogfinger we feel a duty to keep everyone informed and reminded about these issues. The North End situation may be about to blossom into some awful result, and the developers and their fellow conspirators may hope, as in the past, to do whatever they please while the public remains out to lunch.
The current article contains information which we have never posted about before. We want everyone to know what the details are within the North End Redevelopment Plan. Then those who care will know what topics may be swept under the rug by the North End Secret Society.
As for the “shotgun wedding,” those marriages no longer happen since 50% of US babies are born out of wedlock, and few seem to care in our society. In fact that issue has evolved into whether anyone should have a shotgun at all.
So, if we raise the issue of the grotesque undemocratic union between OG and the Neptunites, maybe a grass roots revolution might arise and figure out how to get OG a divorce from the indifferent crowd at the Mother Ship.
In any case, the current NERP should be examined and opposed by all Grovers when it finally crawls out from the shadows into the limelight. Citizens should protest loudly if any inappropriate planning or actions occur. A new activist group should form and rally the citizens.
Totally agree, Jack.
As for government, OG and Neptune are more or less a shotgun marriage and the relationship will never improve. No use complaining about it, which won’t make a difference and won’t make you feel better either.
As for the project, any talk about an underground garage is absurd. Why not bore into the ground and find out how deep the water table is? Any homeowner building a house with a basement in OG would do that to determine the depth of the excavation. I bet you will find it is very shallow so close to the ocean, and an underground garage will be complete unfeasible. Of course, I could be wrong but maybe the town should find out and let us all know.
Also, interest rates are likely to rise soon, making the project more expensive the longer the developers wait to arrange financing. Even with property values rising in Asbury Park (and the North End would be an extension of that market,),is the project even economical?
Give up and build a few homes and townhouses and put in a park. This is where the absence of representation fails us. Citizens have no real input.
I just filled out my absentee ballot and did not vote for McMillan. What has he done for OG after 15 years in office (and as Mayor a couple of times)?
I am sick of Mayor Mike (Brantley) and The Misfits.
I am sick of being neglected by the elected.
I am sick of a one party rule that can do anything or nothing.
And OGHOA is like a kid afraid of the two bullies – Neptune Township Committee and OGCMA – so never doing anything to upset them.
Jack. The political situation in Ocean Grove is an aberrancy (The definition of aberrant is something that does not follow the correct or expected course or something that is not typical or normal. )
In a democracy, the people are supposed to be represented by their elected officials. Whoever is elected is expected to be concerned with the best interests of all the electorate.
But in the Township of Neptune, with its one party rule and its inexplicable indifference and actual abhorrence towards the “town” of Ocean Grove, we are left with no representation, leaving us vulnerable to what we now see: cash cow taxes; disrespect for laws that they don’t like, such as RSIS and zoning; double standards that allow exploitation by developers; disregard for the lifestyles of those who live in the Grove, especially the worsening of congestion which is not only about parking; and the failure to protect historic standards.
Ordinarily we would look to the Homeowners Association to “have our backs,” but that group has been a failure in that regard, and the motives for their disregard is unclear. And public apathy supports them as they leave the citizens without effective or informed advocacy.
A new political reformation (such as secession) is required and/or a grass roots revolution beginning with a new activist citizens organization to replace the Homegroaners.
I believe the present plan to redevelop the North End will never be built because the cost of an underground parking garage makes the project financially unfeasible, unless the number of units (165) are at least doubled.
We cannot rely on the Homeowners Association to protect Ocean Grove from the Township Committee and their developer friends.
The OGHOA supported the plan from Day 1.
It’s time for the residents of OG to wake up.
The plan reports that the OG residents are in favor of the plan, and this may be true.
After attending committee meetings over the last 5 years, I never heard one OG resident speak against the project, and Paul Goldfinger is the only member of the Press reporting the facts.