You can get a kazoo, hum a tune, march in a parade, smoke a cigar, put on shorts, join the red side, and shrink the kids, but do something about the nonsense at the Neptune Committee. Blogfinger photo 7/4/18

By Jack Bredin, reporter/researcher @Blogfinger and Paul Goldfinger, Editor.

At The Township Committee meeting of September 10, 2018, the subject of a redevelopment agreement was mentioned, but it had nothing to do with Ocean Grove. Instead, the Committee was discussing a Neptune project called “West Lake Redevelopment Area.”

That discussion revealed two interesting points.  The first is that this Neptuner West Lake Redevelopment Area was established in 2005, before the OG North End plan, and secondly that a West Lake Redevelopment Agreement had been signed in the past, which is  the usual procedure where the redeveloper signs an agreement with the Township.  We have been looking for such an agreement for years now between the Township and the North End planners.   But instead we got bupkis.  (Yiddish; dictionary:  “absolutely nothing; nothing of value, significance or substance.”)

But as we have pointed out, there has never been a bona fide North End redeveloper. We will have more information for you about this when we post Part II of our article about the North End Renegotiation Committee  (aka “the Mayor’s Team.’)

This piece of information about West Lake reveals that Neptune Township is aware that redevelopers’  agreements are necessary to proceed with a redevelopment project.  If you listen to Michael Badger, the Township Committee, and the Home Groaners, you will find out none of this.

Later, during the Public Portion of the Committee meeting,  Jack Bredin formally asked why a North End Redeveloper’s Agreement was never signed since the inception of the North End Redevelopment Plan  (NERP) in 2008.   He was told that one was not signed over the last 10 years because negotiations were ongoing.

Wow!  Over the last 10 years, the Township’s negotiators have failed to sign an agreement.   Is the “Mayor’s Negotiating Team” currently talking to the OGNED*  (Ocean Grove North End Development LLC?)   And how did OGNED get itself approved to conduct such negotiations in the role of redeveloper?

And,, two citizens, one from OG and one from Neptune questioned the Committee about the mysterious Redevelopment Attorney who has been hiding in the shadows but probably participating in the “negotiations” currently ongoing. Both Jack Bredin and Diane Harris requested that the Committee invite that attorney  to their next meeting to explain his/her roll in the process.

The public should know his name and qualifications.  Why did they need him instead of relying on the Township lawyer who should be able to do that job.?

* To be precise, Michael Badger, CMA President, muddied the waters in April, 2018,  by referring to OGNED as the  “developer” of the North End site. He said that the CMA signed an “options agreement” with OGNED.

We have no idea what an “options agreement”  is and we don’t know who OGNED is,  because the details are secret.

But don’t forget, in order to properly redevelop a site according to Land Use Law in New Jersey, the Township must sign a Redevelopers’ Agreement with the Redeveloper  (as they did with West Lake;)   but first that redeveloper must be approved and appointed by Township resolution.  None of that has happened.

This stuff is enough to make the church bells in your head ring.

THE DIAMONDS: