Paul Goldfinger photo © The North End of Ocean Grove, NJ Click to make it bigger
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
On June 11, an important New Jersey business journal, NJBiz.com, published an article about the North End Redevelopment Plan. It is called, “Divine Development, a mixed use project with a hotel to anchor dormant OG plot.”
A number of Grovers plus the Neptune mayor are interviewed, and all of them support the plan; and all of them speak nonsense.
Unfortunately, the reporter is just a repeater. He doesn’t ask any pertinent questions and he has no idea that the people he was speaking to had conflicts of interest. He is evidently clueless regarding all the players including the public, the Committee, the Zoning and Planning Boards, the lawyers, the DEP, the State Site Improvement Advisory Board, and others.
The most outspoken individual in the piece is Michael Badger, President of the CMA. His credibility is granted because “the CMA owns the land in Ocean Grove.” There is no indication that Neptune Township has anything to do with this redevelopment situation, except for a meaningless quote by the Mayor. In fact there is no recognition of any controversy whatsoever regarding the North End. The title of “Divine Development” does not explain the reference and is off the mark as far as understanding the dynamics of the situation in the Grove.
We offer some quotes below to give you an idea of how useless and biased this article is with respect to the complexity of this public matter.
MB (Michael Badger) “Many people will be pleased to see lovely, welcoming boardwalk shops where previously there had been a vacant lot.”
He gives the impression that there is only one option for the North End. He refers to “many people who will be pleased,” but whom did they survey to find out the popularity of the plan consisting of hotel, garage, condos, shops, and single family homes?
He did not explain that the only plan so far approved for the North End Redevelopment Zone goes back to 2008. Any new concepts which he tends to bring up, such as a reduced number of condos, have not been approved by Neptune Township.
He does not explain that the “redevelopment” process caused the existing single family zoning to be shoved aside contrary to our Master Plan. And he did not note that in a Redevelopment situation, the municipality is in charge,
not the land owner.
MB: “The time is right for the development to take place. This will be an iconic landmark endcap.” Endcap? Landmark? And what criteria was used to decide that “the time is right ?” After all, what is different now that 11 years have gone by? In this interview with a business publication, shouldn’t he have explained why the time is right?
MB: “No timeline for the project has been set, but in April OGCMA signed an options agreement for OGNED (Ocean Grove North End Development LLC) to receive approvals to start development.”
What does this “agreement ” mean? Anybody know? In a Redevelopment Plan, the Redeveloper (which legally is still the CMA and WAVE) is supposed to sign a redevelopers agreement with the Township of Neptune. The relationship of all this to Neptune Township was not even mentioned by Badger.
Mayor Nicholas Williams said, “We want to make sure that any projects that ultimately seek approval do nothing to harm what makes it (OG) the jewel of the Jersey Shore and preserve its charm and historical integrity that has been so carefully maintained for generations.”
The Mayor needs to be more specific. Does he know that this project as currently described could cause tremendous harm to this already overdeveloped and grid-locked town? Does he realize that the Master Plan is threatened by this along with the historical designations? Did he ever read the NERP? It states on page 21 that the goal is to turn our North End into Asbury Park south! Does he know that he is in charge of this process?
Realtor Janet Manni of Re/MAx, someone who has a conflict of interest in seeing this project be built, (the current plan calls for 165 condos plus stores and a hotel) says that “It looks like it’s really going to happen.” What facts does she have regarding that? She also is quoted as saying that the OG real estate market is “hot” and that the “inventory is low.” Is this irrelevance supposed to make the case for the NERP?
And Jack Bredin, after reviewing the comments in the piece said, “To be kind, I would say that these statements are ‘inconsistent with the truth.'” His, so far, is the only Grovarian citizen voice to speak truth to power in this town.
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
At the Committee meeting of June 25, the Neptune Township attorney confirmed publicly that the only legal North End Redevelopment Plan existing today is the one approved by Committee resolution in 2008. Anything else, such as what the CMA is currently spouting, is fake news with a dash of gibberish for camouflage.
I think, being part of a “Township form of government” is the biggest problem for OG, because the Mayor of Neptune is not elected, but is instead selected by the 5 member Committee to serve for only one year as Mayor.
This is not enough time to take an interest and learn the complex nature of planning and zoning.
We (Neptune Township) should change to a “Mayor and Council form of Government” where the people vote for the Mayor to serve for four years.
Or better yet, separate from Neptune to form our own “Borough of OG.”
Over development on the least accessible location in Ocean Grove. Heavy equipment, construction vehicles on Main and Ocean ALL through development. A series of one way streets next to a lake that floods and the ocean. Have they never heard of a Nor’Easter? Check the newest flood zone maps! Insanity reigns.