The Aurora. Photograph by Maggie and Joe Thornton of Ocean Grove. Special to Blogfinger. © 2018. Special to Blogfinger.net.
The Aurora Goddess of the Dawn (2018) by Jack Bredin, OG artist–a historic theme. Study it carefully; look at the North End
By Paul Goldfinger, M.D. Editor @ BLOGFINGER.net. This post is updated from 2018.
But a review of what happened to the Aurora is useful now (2021) that the North End plan is under scrutiny by the HPC. Also the comments from then are quite interesting.
It was finally sold and turned into 4 condos. The Board of Adjustment gave the developer a user variance.
2018–before the sale: The Aurora was built in 1890. Ocean Grove historian Ted Bell says that the former hotel is a “national treasure.” Below this post is a background article from September 2017 on Blogfinger.
The Aurora has 30 bedrooms, 4 floors and a finished basement. The listing says that it has ocean views on every level and sits on 4 lots. It fronts on Surf and Atlantic Avenues and has a driveway and a garage. The lot size is 4,622 square feet.
Inside the building contains 6,615 square feet. The most recent property taxes were $33,979 in 2014.
When the current owner bought it, he changed its legal standing to a single family home. He became famous for flying huge American flags on both sides of his home for July 4.
The word on the street says that a developer will buy the historic building and turn it into 4 luxury condominiums. Such a plan would require all sorts of approvals at the local level and at the state. Hopefully this idea is just an unbelievable rumor, but the history of Neptune Township in Ocean Grove suggests that anything could happen, legal or not.
The first issue that comes to mind is that the HPC would never let this building be altered in a major way, and a multifamily condo conversion would be illegal from a zoning perspective.
The second thing is that there would be essentially no on-site parking, so it’s not likely that the State Site Improvement Advisory Board would ever give this project a “special standard” to make it exempt from the law.
But, if the rumors are true, the public must be told which officials and realtors reassured the prospective buyer; and what contingencies are built into the offer. We all have a stake in enforcement of the law and protection of our town’s precious architectural history.
Your comments and speculation are welcome below, but remember that so far we have no facts on the table other than that a buyer has been found and the sale is “pending.” Maybe that buyer has a big family like the current owner.
ANDY WILLIAMS:
Paul, the property owner needs to find a legal use for his property.
Absent a State approved special parking standard for all of OG, the Township cannot legally approve new or Condo conversions of existing buildings with no on-site parking.
The Town cannot make exceptions to State standards on a case by case basis.
Perhaps the new owner plans to use it primarily as an AirBnb or VRBO rental. It has become increasingly common for investors to purchase or build homes in vacation areas solely to use as this type of short term rental…
Editor’s note: Renting a room in OG is not legal (Unless you are a hotel)
According to the tax map, the Aurora is on one lot, not 4 lots.
The zoning would permit only two single-family houses, not 4.
Editor’s note: Yes, but the Aurora will not be demolished. A use needs to be found for this building as if it were one lot. P.
If you look at the Google satellite view of the property, you’ll see that there are two driveways — one from Atlantic, one from Surf, plus a garage and some other outbuilding that might also be a garage. This would provide at least 4 off-street parking spaces, maybe more.
Seems like this is the best possible use of this building. And remember, HPC approval will not be needed if no alterations to the exterior are made. A zoning variance only will be needed to convert the single family residence to condos.
We have heard from a BF citizen reporter who tells us that the Aurora “sits on two almost 30×60 lots and two half lots. It could be argued that it was entitled to 4 units.”
He tells us that one could also argue that only single family homes could be approved on such a property. However, given the Aurora’s unique current situation, “There is really no other chance of anyone coming along and using it as a single family home; thus 4 condominiums seems to be the wisest choice for the Aurora.”—-
Editor’s note: This comment by our source—-Deep Pharynx— makes sense to me.
There are times when exceptions and flexibility must be utilized. But how does that happen without creating arguable precedents and getting around the laws?
I guess the Neptune Association of Developers, Bureaucrats and Elected Officials (the NADBE) know how to slip and slide around an obstacle course in the Grove. Of course the site plan would have to satisfy the HPC, which are the same people who approved the Greek Temple on Ocean Avenue.—-Paul @Blogfinger
Dear “Not for Everyone.” Thank you for your comment.
However, you say, “Replace the HPC with Code Enforcement?”
You may not be aware that all of Ocean Grove is a State and National Historic District, and not just “a few key structures.”
What you are saying makes no sense at all and could not be done.
Maybe it is time to let the Aurora go. This country has lost many truly historic structures that played major roles in this America’s history. Even with their loss we seem to move on with our lives. Does the Aurora have any real history to it than the style in which it was built? No, it doesn’t, and since there are many other houses of the same style in OG, the loss of the Aurora would not effect the community than if it was truly unique to OG.
The violation of law that will be taking place is of more concern to me than retaining the Aurora. The fact that it would be converted using zoning in violation of law and in contempt of a court order is troublesome. Attorneys using zoning that was created in direct violation of law with the intent to deceive the court means that their intent is to deceive the court. This is even more troublesome.
And last, the constant failure of real preservation taking place in this community when it comes to condo conversions makes me question what will be done to this building.
I have lost all faith in Neptune to do the right thing in this regard. They have made a mess of OG and will continue to do so to make a quick tax buck off the community.
So let the Aurora go. It is time.
Kevin Chambers
Dear Mr. Bredin,
My point is that the rules need to be enforced uniformly. I do not have a problem with the concept of some preservation, though I have many issues with the way it is administered here and think the HPC should be replaced by Code Enforcement for almost all renovations. And that the HPC’s authority should be exclusively limited to a few key structures. But if a property like the Aurora can be modified just to get condos, why should the rest of us suffer with the current rules? It is unjust, and I would be the first to applaud if we could see it go.
Regarding the comment from “Not For Everybody:”
Wake up residents before it’s too late! This is what we are up against.
With the exception of the HPC, this “I really don’t care” comment also defines the attitude that Neptune Township has toward the Historic District of Ocean Grove.
Going forward, at this point in time, the only option for future development is detached single-family houses.
We already have 25 lbs. of residential housing in a 5 lb. bag with a shortage of parking spaces.
If the new owners were to buy a lot nearby and used it for 8 parking spots, could they then do 4 condos? I’m not suggesting this, just wondering if the parking has to be adjacent.
The problem is that the Aurora is practically unsalable as a single family house and is at risk of eventually becoming derelict unless something is done. It cannot become a commercial building or a hotel again according to zoning laws.
The former was tried one year ago when someone wanted to turn the Laingdon Hotel on Ocean Avenue into a drug rehab. facility. The public objected, and the offer was withdrawn. And the Aurora is too fine a structure to consider demolition as occurred with the Whitfield Hotel where that site has been turned into four (crowded) single family homes.
There are precedents all over town where hotels became condos or single family homes, the latter of which is acceptable as with the Aurora. But all the condo examples defied NJ Residential Site Improvement Standards. And once the Aurora became a single family home, the rules say that it can’t go back. But what about those precedents?
Precedents based on favoritism, skirting land use laws, and special unsavory favors at Neptune Town Hall should not be recognized as precedents for re-zoning the Aurora.
And there are many multifamily homes in town (eg 2 or 3 family) which the owners might wish to turn into condos, but which would be denied for similar reasons—but one exception, a precedent, could open the flood-gates.
Innovative solutions can be considered for the Aurora, but the top priority has to be adherence to the law. It’s about time that the land-use laws in Ocean Grove be enforced, including those having to do with parking—which would rule out most condo conversions. The Township Committee must end their two sets of books regarding who gets approvals and who does not.
If the laws are wrong they can be changed, but not ignored.
Not for Everybody: I agree. The pain of working with HPC 10 years ago to enhance the exterior of our late 1990’s house was insane. Two years ago I had another bad encounter. Now I will not do anything that involves that group.
I really don’t care if the building becomes a four-unit condominium. That said, it seems unfair that alterations would get a waiver from the HPC if an ordinary property owner such as myself can’t do what I want with my house. If the Township will allow such a waiver, then let’s just get rid of Historic Preservation altogether.
Maybe there will be an “accidental” fire in March (fire season for OG) and then the new owner can build whatever he wants there.