a. The OGHOA (Homegroaners Ass.) sent out an announcement today:
“The March meeting of the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association has been cancelled.
b. At the Feb 24, 2020 Neptune Township Committee meeting, much of it was consumed with bickering by local Democrats regarding the dumping of Committeeman McMillan. Among the bickerers was Barbara Burns, the HOA President.
Monmouth County Democratic Organization
Municipal Chairman: James Mowczan
Municipal Vice-Chair: Beverly Holland
Here is a sample observation by a Democrat member of the audience: (from the meeting minutes:)
“Dr. James Chenitz, South Riverside Drive, stated that Mr. McMillan does his research and does not always follow orders and for that, the other Committee members are taking retribution. Mr. McMillan does his job, he is a straight shooter and does what is best for Neptune. Members of the Township Committee pursued the County Committee to vote him out.
“This decision is breaking the Neptune democrats in two and helping to achieve in getting a republican elected. Mr. McMillan always gets votes and this action moves him to an obscure position on the ballot because he is not a lap dog. Integrity no longer matters and this is “Trumpian” retribution.
“Dr. Chenitz concluded that Mr. McMillan will win the primary because everyone here tonight will work to get him elected.”
c. Why is the Neptune Committee meeting allowed to become a debating society for the Township’s Democrats who should engage in their interior political bickering on their own time and away from the Hall of the People.
And the President of the HOA Barbara Burns should not be participating in such discussions. She and her organization should remain apolitical unless there are some Committee issues which directly affect the Grove.
Since when is the HOA an appendage of the Monmouth County Democratic Party?
d. BPA (Better Parking Alliance) holds a town meeting last week, and nothing productive was achieved. It was the same old, same old stuff about parking. The BPA continues to promote its unworkable plan which includes parking help for residents, but only at night. It hopes that the flow of Asbury freeloader parkers can be reduced, and it wants Grovers to bring fewer cars into town. And again they want to try permits, but only at the North End.
Other ideas were tossed around, but it was a waste of time. Once again there was talk of a public parking garage at the North End, or perhaps the South End, and, of course, there was the inevitable mention of shuttle buses.
One interesting factoid (Coaster) was culled from the meeting: ” According to the BPA’s fact sheet, as posted on their Face Book page, there are 3,233 parking spaces in Ocean Grove and 3,051 housing units, which include homes, condos, and apartments.”
Is there any wonder why Grover residents feel squeezed in their own town when tourist cars come rolling in? Isn’t it obvious that incoming tourist cars need to be limited?
And no one suggested we reduce the number of mega-tourist events. They will be having two more such town meetings, but they are just spinning their wheels.
Song of the week:
Are there 3,233 legal parking spaces in OG?
Any parking plan must be prepared by a professional, working directly from a parking study that was also prepared by a professional pursuant to State Laws that establish the number of legal parking spaces that could go into developing a parking plan.
The study is first ordered by the Township, prepared, signed and sealed by a professional, and not the HOA.
Then, the Township Committee, and not the HOA, or the BPA, would hold public hearings on the study. They would then prepare a parking plan from the study.
Another Public Hearing would then be held before adopting the Parking Plan.
We now have 40 years of parking plans and no parking study.