Wesley Lake north end. Citizen photo. 2016. Any progress since then?
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor and Jack Bredin, Reporter/researcher @Blogfinger.
At the February 20 scheduled meeting of the Wesley Lake Commission held at the Neptune Mother Ship, only 4 of 10 Commissioners showed up. Acting Chairman Doug McQueen declared the session null and void, and everyone went home clutching their agendas.
The degree of apathy regarding Wesley Lake is awe inspiring. Only one member of the public from either town was present, and that was our reporter Jack Bredin. You would think that the people who live along the Lake would take an interest, but no soap.
And last month, the group dismissed a Commissioner who was so enthused about her prestigious appointment that she never attended a meeting.
Nevertheless, we do have some aspects to report:
In an astonishing act of indifference and disrespect towards the public, the Commission has changed its rules regarding the ability of citizens to participate in the Commission’s meetings. Firstly, they have forbidden any citizen from speaking during the meeting. Then they have discontinued the usual 5 minute public portion at the end of the meeting.
The only time a citizen may speak is at the beginning of the meeting, but only for 3 minutes. And that is before any business is conducted during the meeting.
On the agenda for February, 20, in part, it said :
Watershed:
Storm Drain and Watershed Map- Approved
This item is of interest because in the past, Asbury Park said it did not have a storm drain or a watershed map. (see comments.) Neptune said it had the former, but not the latter. Such maps tie into the Commission’s jurisdiction and to issues such as whether the two towns may be entitled to pump dirty street runoff into the Lake.
It also relates to whether the Lake is officially a “detention basin” or a “natural lake.” But don’t hold your breath waiting for those maps to appear and don’t drink the water or swim in it or inhale it.
Blogfinger will have more to say about these map issues when we find out what that agenda item is all about. But, if you read the excerpt below from the January meeting, they say that the Commission is responsible for the “watershed,” but without a watershed map, what are they talking about?
And here is another agenda item which may be interesting once it is clarified: “Camp Meeting Association.”
The minutes of the January, 2018 meeting says;
“Gail asked for clarification as to the Charter’s explanation of responsibilities for the Lake. It was agreed that the Commission oversees the watershed, water, and per a “Indenture” from 11-4- 1988 the bridges, gates and spillway. The Camp Meeting Association leased the bridges, gates and spillway to Neptune with the understanding that it shares the responsibility with Asbury Park.”
And finally another eyebrow raiser in the agenda: “Friends/Citizens of Wesley Lake-“ This organization has had a spotty record over the years as far as citizens watching over Wesley Lake. What are they up to now? And why would any of them attend the WLC meetings, when citizens are not allowed to participate?
What they need at the Commission is a new chairman–someone who will make sure that progress is made. We propose the gentleman shown below.
This is Michael Corleone. He knows how to implement an agenda, and he will make the Commissioners an offer they can’t refuse. Photo from Godfather II. Blogfinger image.
With all due respect Jack, I am not suggesting renegotiating or “referring” to any past action/contract or continuing engagement. Knocking on that door by a prominent citizen and knocking on that developer’s conscience/good business sense could be a viable way to go.
Editor’s note: Thank you gentlemen, but this marks the end of this particular dialogue.—-Paul, editor and referee.
I.M.Radar,
All kidding aside, I think we both know that everything a developer is required to provide and pay for is memorialized in a Re-developer’s agreement prepared by the Town Attorney.
My advice to any private citizen is to never, ever attempt to re-negotiate this public contract behind closed doors as suggested by Mr. I.M Radar. It’s bad advice.
You will not get another dime, and the most you can hope for is comfortable accommodations in ‘Club Fed’.
With those two references, I suggest you should.
I M Radar, RE: The big question
Good idea, I will knock on their door tomorrow and say, Michael Corleone and Mr. Radar sent me to inform you that it would be in your best interest to make a 20 million dollar donation.
Do you think I should ask for cash?
Mr. Bredin: I have consistently admired your advocacy on behalf of Ocean Grove.
I am familiar with “impact fees” developers pay. Such fees are imposed by governmental bodies. Obviously Neptune Twp. and Asbury Park have never had “creative” governance bodies.
In Neptune, they consistently treat Ocean Grove as the “cash cow.” In Asbury Park, historically there have been too many hands outstretched “to be greased.”
My point: two major developers have raked in the bucks. Why not mount an effort to get them to deal effectively with Wesley Lake.
Big question: who can knock on their doors?
I.M.Radar:
Both towns could have and should have required by ordinance that all developers and Re-Developers pay an “off-site improvement fee” (like a sewer hookup fee) for every new unit and every square foot of retail space when the Wesley Lake Commission was first established for the purpose of PRESERVING the Lake.
By now, there would be enough money to re-route the dirty street water and preserve the Lake several times over.
This is a long established Land Use Procedure.
But instead, thanks to the generosity of our towns’ leaders, the money is in the developer’s pocket, and Wesley Lake is dying.
Again we evidently have two municipalities neglecting a major asset–whether a historic district or a lake.
Why aren’t the Chambers of Commerce supporting and citing the attractive value of a lake to their hotels and restaurants? Why aren’t environmental organizations offering ideas and resources to remediate existing problems?
Who has staff, time, contacts, and perceived power to do it?
I could think of two–excuse the expression–developers making their money in those two communities. While they could use some good PR, we could applaud them for their “noble service.”
Sometimes you have to do with what you got.
A watershed – also called a drainage area, catchment, or basin – is an area of land that drains surface and subsurface runoff to a common point, usually a stream, river, lake or the ocean. Rainwater filtering down into an underground stream and emptying into Wesley Lake would be shown on a watershed map. These are natural components that drain into a natural lake such as Wesley Lake
A storm drain, storm sewer (U.S. and Canada), surface water drain/sewer (United Kingdom), or stormwater drain (Australia and New Zealand) is designed to drain excess rain and ground water from impervious surfaces such as paved streets, car parks, parking lots, footpaths, sidewalks, and roofs. This is what a storm drain map would show–artificial features bringing dirty street water into the Wesley detention basin.
So we don’t know what sort of map was to be presented at this meeting, but each kind requires its own map and would need to be signed/sealed by an expert engineer and then approved by town government before being attached to the the Wesley Lake Commission Charter
Some see Wesley Lake as a place for recreation, and we were led to believe the Wesley Lake Commission was established to restore and preserve the Lake for recreation.
Others see the Lake as a good location for more Condos and a parking lot.
Under the Leadership of the Neptune Township Committee and the Mayor and Council of Asbury Park, the Commission has instead evolved into ‘the Wesley Detention Basin Advisory Board.’
The Neptune Tax Map already identifies the entire Lake as a detention basin, when they only need a small portion at the East End. That would leave the rest of the Lake to be filled in for development, because the Lake is no longer considered to be a Lake.
Next on the hidden agenda is to fill in the Lake for development.