Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
In the Feb 5, 2020 Asbury Park Press, CMA President Michael Badger gave an interview which explained his goals with respect to our parking problems. You can read it yourself (link below:)
He begins the video by comparing OG with every other shore town in this area. He said, “Parking is always difficult in a shore town.” But OG is different than other shore towns.
He said, “The association is deeply concerned about the struggles people are having. My hope is to make improvements that will benefit everyone.”
He wants a solution which is “equitable and fair.” But “equitable and fair” need further definition.
In fact, “fair” for the citizens of OG should be to place Grovers at the top of any priority list for parking. There is nothing wrong with favoritism for those who make this their home. Many communities believe in that—did he ever hear of permit parking?
In the video portion he enunciates the “microproblems” which we face in the Grove. He mentions beach goers and the Asbury Park overflow situation.
But he doesn’t want anyone to have to pay and he does not mention the residential community all around OG as being on his list of concerns.
He also forgot to include our other “microproblems” including too many secular mega-events in such a small town, too many large CMA events bringing in thousands of religious tourists, too many street closures, a North End plan which will exacerbate our parking chaos, and increasing numbers of short term renters.
Instead he expresses his compassion for taxpayers who live in Neptune. He says that “their beach” is OG, so we should find ways to help them have access to parking. After all, he said,” Do we want to say to Neptuners, ‘Don’t come to Ocean Grove; we don’t want you here? ‘”
He said that if we discourage Neptuners from parking in the Grove, then that would make us “elitist.”
But the problem for him is that no one in OG would ever discourage Neptuners from visiting here. He should apologize to all Grovers for his obnoxious implications.
What Badger doesn’t admit to is that his top priority has always been to provide parking for religious tourism in the Grove, a phenomenon which is actually growing. Instead he hides that concern within a fog of nonsense.
He plans to hire a “nationally known” consultant. The parking consultants which they have chosen are Kimley-Horn. Look at their website yourself. Is this the right company for the Grove? Will Kimley-Horn perform some magic to make even more parking spaces for tourists?
In 2017, Badger posted a very provocative letter in the Coaster about parking in the Grove. And the comments section is very good. Here is the link;
Badger letter on parking 2017. Critique by Blogfinger.
SURFIN’ BIRD:
Blogfinger, I don’t disagree with you. The most likely purpose of a CMA-funded study is to provide an expert justification for dedicating open space (such as the soccer field or nw corner) to exclusive Camp Meeting parking (a very bad idea for reasons not addressed here). The Camp Meeting might own open space that would still need Township approval to create parking, I don’t know. They must think that it is necessary to pay for expensive help to get what they want.
You suggest that it’s the Township’s responsibility to come up with a parking solution that benefits residents, but they have repeatedly avoided doing that. And we don’t have the political influence for them to do anything because we don’t have the votes and they don’t give a damn about Ocean Grove residents. I am suggesting that we try to participate with the CMA. I am not naive, just maybe a little desperate. It makes sense to challenge the Camp Meeting to open up the study to community involvement rather than waiting for them to control the situation.
I think that Ms. Klein was posing a rhetorical question. We all know the answer: the OGCMA, Ocean Grove Counting Money Association, favors visitors because they bring bucks.
Of course it’s self-serving for the CMA to pay for this study. Why else are they doing it? Private companies never pay for public service projects like a formal parking study. As Jack Bredin has said many times, that is something for the Township to do.
Ocean Grove is faced with a parking conundrum where there are more cars than spaces. The only proper solution is for the Township to do what’s best for the residents, as they do in other towns like Bradley Beach and Belmar, and that would be to shut down most of those giant tourist grid-lock events which cause parking mayhem and resident life-style paralysis during the best times of the year in OUR town.
It reminds me of polling. You hire someone to do a poll and then you tell them what result you want, and then you get the result you want.
I believe the CMA is in a panic that something will be done about parking for the benefit of the residential community which will not be in the best interest of the CMA’s ambitious programming and parking requirements. The public interest should be the first priority.
Joyce Klein, Chair of the HOA’s Parking Committee, wrote an amazing letter in the Nov. 22, 2017 issue of the Coaster. In it, she asked this question: “Why does the Camp Meeting favor visitors over residents?” One of these days, the CMA will be forthright regarding the answer to her question.
There is a 2017 link near the bottom of this post. You can find Joyce’s letter in the comments section. —-Paul @Blogfinger
I don’t think that the hiring of a capable consultant by the CMA is necessarily a bad thing. It’s probably self-serving, but we don’t know that until a report is released.
The CMA should set up a community advisory committee to review progress as the study is done in order to assure transparency. At least this is a professional organization requiring a significant investment, as opposed to the little the Township has done.
In addition, the CMA has influence with the Township that we the people lack. The announcement also suggested the possibility of parking meters, a necessity if the demand for parking is to be successfully managed.
I would be supportive of this study IF a process for community review and participation is established.
The HOA and the Township never did a proper “parking study” that would be necessary to develop a proper “parking plan”
The Township’s last “Parking Task Force” included the CMA, but left the CMA out of their conclusions.
Now the CMA is forced to spend their own money for a parking study that the Township should have paid for just to get some sort of proper representation regarding the parking problem.
Sorry, but I highly doubt the CMA cares about the residents…… unless they’re attending their church (and depositing in the collection basket).
If Badger and OGCMA truly care about “Neptuners” coming to the OG beach, then they should give substantial discounts for beach badges to all Neptune Township residents.