By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@ Blogfinger.net
In the February 28 edition of the Qoaster, we are told that “Money to hire a consultant to review the parking problems in OG has been included in the 2019 municipal budget”
“Committeeman Michael Brantley said that ‘hiring a parking consultant is part of the governing body’s commitment to further examine the problem in Ocean Grove and we want to keep the commitment that we made last year.'”
But here are the problems that Blogfinger has with this action filled report:
a. The lack of political leadership on this issue is staggering as is the degree of dopiness seen in this press release. Bradley admits that “options are limited, we have lack of space, parking is now free, we have no consultant in mind, and we need to manage this problem or it will become problematic.”
Brantley wisely concluded that “a lack of parking, which is free, is a continual problem in Ocean Grove.”
He admits that parking meters and permit parking have “all been on the table previously but there has been no resolution to the problem.”
b. Brantley states that a previous study worked with an ad hoc parking task force to review the problem, but the Committeeman said “the new consultant will not be dealing with a task force.”
c. The Quoaster also informs us that it is “unlikely” that a consultant will be hired by this summer, and the amount of money which will be spent on this is unknown.
d. What we want to hear at Blogfinger is a promise from the Township Comedy to stop fiddling around and to actually do something, namely permit parking, to help those who live in town, pay taxes, and endure the horrid congestion which Neptune has allowed to torment us during prime season, and to admit that parking is just part of the situation which includes the condofication of her historic properties, the smothering of life styles in town due to oppressive tourist invasions, the violations of land use laws, endless approvals of street closures, endless giant mega-events that seem like the New Jersey State Fair has come to town every Saturday, and disinterest in the cultural and historic prerogatives which are missing from the fabric of this potentially most unique town.
The empty promise by this Township Comedy regarding parking is indeed a joke. They could do a skit on SNL about this process.
Nothing less than a dramatic change of direction by the leadership in Neptune could deal with this stultifying situation. The Quoaster is a perfect place for Brantley to make this feeble announcement. If you don’t think this is important, recall that “all politics is local.”
Which Committeeman could be compared to the “very model of a modern major general” from the Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert and Sullivan?
“I am the very model of a modern Major-General
I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral
I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical
From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical
I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical
I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical
About binomial theorem I’m teeming with a lot o’ news
Lot o’ news, ahh”
.
Grover 13 – That’s the whole thing in a nutshell.
At this point, if you don’t like it, don’t buy in OG. There are too many condos/houses/residents to accommodate designated parking spots.
Ocean Grove was founded before the advent of motor vehicles. The street layout, especially in the area North of Main with it’s short, narrow one way streets that stop at Auditorium and Founder’s Parks was never intended for autos.
Nothing has been done since that time to deal with parking. My narrow little street is packed with AP revelers Friday through Sunday evenings all ‘off season’. They come and noisily retrieve their cars after the bars close. It makes one speculate that the real mission of the CMA is to provide free parking for bar hoppers rather than the residents.
Editor’s note: This past weekend contained a St Patrick’s Day “parade” in Asbury Park, and the secondary effect was to flood our North End with cars parking for free. So much for a quiet winter’s weekend in the Grove.
INSURRECTION: We the residents of OG should show our outrage over the failure of Neptune and the CMA to do something for the citizens of OG regarding parking.
Let’s do our own permit parking by claiming spaces on behalf of citizens. Let’s hold a space for our car with a yellow cone or other object. And put up a sign at that empty space that says “This space is reserved for a tax paying citizen who seeks freedom from oppression.”
For those who wonder where others will park, well, that’s their problem. We the people should receive preference so that we can live our lives as citizens in other towns do. The Township can work on ways to get the tourists to park in Neptune proper.
And, another approach has been suggested. Get a motor scooter to save your space. There is no law against parking a scooter at the curb in Ocean Grove, and it is fun to drive them around town. If you show up with car, just put the scooter in your alley.
In 1980, the NJ Supreme Court said that the CMA cannot engage in Neptune governance because of the need to separate church and state.
But today the CMA still is influencing governance in Ocean Grove by virtue of its cozy relationship to the Neptune Twp. Committee.
That relationship lets the CMA control the lives of OG residents in a variety of ways having to do with: unlimited religious events in prime season, street closures, huge mega activities that bring in thousands of tourists whenever they want, ground rents (is that really legal while we pay taxes on those lands?), control over parking decisions, and finally their decision to change the North End zoning from single family to multi-use commercial which will impact the quality of life for all who live in town.
OGTS may not like citizens questioning the CMA, but the Constitution does grant us freedom of speech so OGTS, get over it.
So what if it used to be a summer camp meeting? You also had to leave the camp grounds and couldn’t live here in the off season.
The point isn’t the number of events, it’s why does anyone have the right to tell the CMA (agree with them or not) what they can and can’t do on their campgrounds.
The CMA claims to own the land, anyone who has a lot has a lease. Why do so many people move onto a campground of an organization they don’t know about, agree with or want a part of?
It’s not like there’s not a history of CMA services and events throughout the towns history that drew tens of thousands of people every year and the congestion both cars and other kinds that came with it.
The demographics have changed but that still doesn’t give people the right to demand that the founding organization and campground owners change their beliefs, mission and programming because they don’t like what they’re doing. If you don’t like the landlords move out.
So what about this resident’s life style? Maybe I enjoy the events religious and secular and maybe I don’t want to deal with a bunch of added parking restrictions. Sure the congestion and lack of parking is frustrating but I don’t see meters, permits or other regulations making much difference. I see it costing me more money and not diminishing the frustration.
OGTS: I suggest you look at the CMA event calendar for this coming season. Between May 1 to July 21, there are 300 discreet events, and many of those events bring people with cars, and what is the CMA doing about parking? They threatened the town with a lawsuit if the subject of permit parking were even discussed.
You can complete the count if you wish, but you can imagine how many events will be occurring by adding the rest of July, all of August and into September, and the CMA is now actively encouraging events year round. It used to be a summer camp meeting.
Could you guess how many events were happening around the time of “the founding” which you mention? I imagine even you can appreciate the trend and the effect this must have on the life styles of residents in town.
And no one called for cancelling all religious events, but the citizens should be interested in the numbers, and maybe they would also like to see a cutback.
What if the Township decided to have about 1000 events each summer in town? How would you feel about that? It’s 2019—not 1869. Times change–or ought to change. And the demographics are much different.
Permit parking will not work. There just isn’t enough space in this town for everyone who lives here to have a spot in whatever permit zones are created. That was made clear last year when a permit parking plan was brought up and the majority spoke against the plan.
Parking in this town can get frustrating enough but having to pay the Township more money for a parking frustration permit is unacceptable to me. And that’s what it will be, a permit for the privilege of the same lack of parking.
Religious events have been happening here since the founding of the town, in fact those endless religious events revolve around the founding purpose of this town. Calling for the cancellation of events that have been happening here forever is kind of ridiculous.
Resident parking can work, it just won’t be perfect. Then other methods can be built on that: shuttle buses, targeted metering, parking garage out of town, volunteer drivers to help seniors, and a commitment to cut back on mega events—-and schedule some elsewhere in Neptune. Cancel some events like car shows and house tours, ban future condo conversions, and cut back on the endless religious events.
The CMA acts like it owns the entire town, with no consideration for those secular folks who reside here. Where is the precedent for a private religious group to prevail over all the citizens who have no recourse thanks to the Neptune Comedy? For those of us who live here and own homes, this is our town too.
And, this town does not have the capacity for all that tourism. Bring sanity to our historic town.
If what RSS describes is true, why do I bother paying any of the ridiculous taxes to Neptune if at the end of the day, the CMA owns the final say on all matters in Ocean Grove?
Parking has always been an issue in Ocean Grove. most homes have 30′ of street frontage and usually more than one car. the math doesn’t work. and if we do permit parking, there is no guarantee that you can park near your home, just allows you to park in designated resident area. are there enough parking spots for each home to get 2 spots? are there even enough for each home to get 1 spot? what about existing condos with 60 foot frontage and 6 units? i have no answer, but do not see permit parking as feasible.
All the land in Ocean Grove is owned by the CMA. They view metered parking and resident parking decals as contrary to their religious goals as both would limit parking options for church goers and CMA event attendees.
Several years ago, I was told by a CMA trustee that Neptune and the CMA had discussed the possibility of metering the oceanfront. The CMA owned the land and would not permit meter installation unless they were to receive the proceeds and Neptune would not agree. Realistically, I don’t think that we residents can expect to see any changes to alleviate the parking situations.
Visitors to and employees of businesses in neighboring Asbury Park will continue to park in the Grove because it’s free. As for me, I use Uber on busy weekends because if I give up my parking space, I’m like to have to park blocks away after I’ve hunted for a space for 20 minutes.
It didn’t use to be this way; parking has become much more challenging the last 5 years.
I nominate Mayor Rizzo as the very model of a modern Major-General.
The Blogfinger cow is no cash cow. In fact we blue cows are outraged at the aspersions cast against cows in general. We want the Committee to eat more chiken.
This Brantley announcement is indeed fake news because there is no news there. There is no there there. Just empty promises and obvious platitudes.
It is time that the Committee formerly recognize that there is segment of the Neptune population numbering over 3,000 that provides the Township with a large chunk of taxes. And this group, the residents of Ocean Grove, deserve the attention, representation, and commitment of the Committee.
Shark River residents just received a $1,350,00.00 project while we get promises squared (ie promises, promises.)
And there is no other part of the Township where tourist invasions occur, waterways are polluted, citizens are oppressed, mega events are frequent, and promises are not kept. The “cash cow” nickname for our town is real. And don’t forget the indifference towards our historic designations.