By Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor @Blogfinger.net Re-post. From 2018.
In a recent Blogfinger opinion piece, we asked, “Will Ocean Grove be left in the dustbin of history as a place with stifling crowding, insoluble parking concerns, a has-been Victorian success story, condos all over town, a pseudo-Asbury at the North End, self-interested “community” organizations, wealthy 2nd homers instead of year-round residents, and a town devoid of community—– known for no art, culture, schools, or values of its own?”
“And will all that would be left to focus on be the Camp Meeting Association with its specific mission and lifestyle—worthy as part of the community, but less impressive all by itself?”
“And will Ocean Grove become a place with no life to it in the winter and few downtown shops that cater to the residents?”
Is it possible that the original 1970’s vision of a historic town, as expressed in the Master Plan, eventually evaporate leaving just another shore town with rising real estate prices, elitist demographics, outrageous taxes, and fancy seasonal shops in our downtown?
An article in yesterday’s New York Times addresses some of these changes which are turning down-home, family-oriented communities such as Avalon, at the South Jersey Shore, into something else, mostly for the wealthy.
Families with modest incomes, some of which have been there for generations are being forced out, and with them go memories, traditions, and a nostalgic atmosphere that that will be lost as the town’s character changes. The author says that some towns at the north Jersey Shore, such as Mantoloking, are also changing.
You can read that article, linked below. But each Shore town is different, and each has its own unique challenges. In OG we have some unusual variations on the theme, such as the role of the CMA and the aggressiveness of developers pushing condo conversions, as well as some home buyers who are promoting tourist rentals.
The second-home phenomenon is very real in Ocean Grove and is a strong driving force towards change. Neptune Township cares little about historic OG. Their actions make it clear what their goals for the town are, and we have written about those issues including illegal zoning and parking decisions, the pollution of Wesley Lake, and taxes which are too high (the “cash cow” effect–you can almost hear the sucking sound of our money heading west.)
3 new homes are going in on Lawrence Avenue. (88, 90 and 92). Will they look Victorian? © 4/23/18. Blogfinger photo.Here are some “objectives and goals” taken from the Master Plan of the OG Historic District,–a “plan” which is largely ignored by the movers and shakers in the Grove who care little about historic preservation or the vision of those who were thrilled when OG was given recognition by the National and State Registers of Historic Places.
a. “To integrate historic preservation into the Township’s history, its historical figures and its historic sites and district.” And “encouraging new construction that is compatible in scale and design to the physical character of the surrounding neighborhood.”
b. “To seek to insure compatibility between new development and nearby historic sites and districts, in terms of both use and appearance.” Really?
So how do Mary’s Place and the Greek Temple get built in the heart of our ocean-front Historic District?
c. “To encourage residents to preserve the historic character, livability and property values of historic structures in neighborhoods….”
This subject is not exactly new. Take a look at this 2012 Blogfinger post (and the comments which are very interesting and unique:)
Blogfinger poll on historic heritage in OG
SARAH VAUGHAN sings a Cole Porter Broadway song:
Dave, just for the record, “bigger and better” was sarcasm on my part. I personally am not a fan of the “Victorian McMansion with an open floor plan.” I am also not anti-second homeowners providing don’t operate as an AirBNB or VRBO, shovel their sidewalks in the winter, cram 15 people into their tiny 2-bedroom house or leave garbage on the street when no pickup is imminent.
I noticed the photos of new construction on Lawrence Avenue. Any change to that street is an upgrade! Living on this side of town, I am more than happy to see the 3 houses being built that appear to be mimicking the 3 new homes recently built on the old garage parking lot. I feel they are much more attractive than what was in those lots prior. Additionally, I would love for something to take the place of pseudo-furniture store that backs up to Lawrence with its trash filled lot and crumbling retaining wall. I love when the Neptune inspectors come to our side of town to point out a minor historical violation as I always point out that they can see chipped paint on a deck but choose to ignore that blatant eyesore.
This article contains one reference to second homers from a prior post and one new sentence on that subject: “The second-home phenomenon is very real in Ocean Grove and is a strong driving force towards change.”
Making factual observations is not judgmental. It is just a fact that the second home demographic in Ocean Grove is real and will contribute to changes in town.
The Times reporter also discusses part time residents and their relationship to change in Avalon at the South Jersey Shore.
Devo is spot on. I am an OG (second) homeowner. Love coming here for the summer. Not interested in sending my kids to the local school systems. Is that a bad thing? It is always shocking to me that the local community would find offense in second homeowners paying full freight for town services but only using a fraction (2 months of the local services) – or at Shelly’s offense in second homeowners making the houses “better” . . . Really? Every second homeowner I know invests substantially in annual capital improvements that increase the value of the entire town.
We reduce the tax burden that would otherwise be levied if we consumed year-round public services. We don’t use the parking. Hug and celebrate your neighbors that are second homeowners. They are subsidizing the town and making neighborhood homes better.
If it is a rental issue (and I don’t rent out my home) even primary residents can rent out rooms or rent their homes if they go out of town. Rental is a different issue than primary / secondary home ownership status. I know many secondary home / full time summer homeowners in OG, and not one of them rent out their homes.
Doug has a very good point. I also believe second homeowners love this town and shouldn’t be blamed for anything. Unfortunately, their voices aren’t heard as they can’t vote and Neptune continues to take advantage of us.
All in all, I am still very optimistic about Ocean Grove. As Asbury Park continues to become more of a premier year-round destination, Ocean Grove will also continue to evolve. We have far more attributes for year round living versus Avalon (i.e., a healthy walk to bustling Asbury Park and a Manhattan Direct Train Line for starters).
I feel that the demographics of our town will continue to trend younger and more diverse. I would argue that is a very good thing. Being around young people keeps everyone young. However, I feel that OG will always remain subdued which is even a better reason to live here versus Asbury Park.
Due to the draw of AP, more and more people are continually discovering Ocean Grove and falling in love with it the same way that I’m sure most of us did at some point in time.
Yeah…maybe it has changed and will continue to do so…but it’s still a very special and unique place for us all to enjoy.
Most of the second homeowners I know around me are great people and care about the town, but the biggest problem is that they do not vote here! Since we have a declining voter population, Neptune couldn’t care less what we think.
Not For: I know that you think we are just spinning our wheels when we write recurrent articles about the dynamics of life in OG.
But the variables are many, and we try to focus on certain ones—In this case we have the opportunity to understand that change occurs up and down the Jersey Shore, but each town has its own challenges.
And adding the Times article to the mix is what propelled our decision to bring up these issues again today.
In this post, we see the subject of second homers coming to the surface for honest discussion, and I find these demographic dynamics to be interesting, and maybe these debates will propel the town towards some understanding, and that’s a good thing for those who live here and have invested in real estate here.
I guess you are bored with the discussion, but I’m not there yet, and your comment does, in fact, offer some new and provocative thoughts, as did Shelley’s.—Paul
I truly believe that the horse is out of the barn. People who lived in Ocean Grove have been forced out. Like Avalon, “real estate prices have shot through the stratosphere.” Good news for people who want to cash in and check out. Bad news for people who have lived here for a long time and want to stay.
While one can’t generalize about second homeowners, the ones in my neck of the woods have bastardized their Victorian homes to make them bigger and better. The air and light have literally been sucked out of the town. Short-term summer rentals proliferate and greatly diminish the quality of life here. Garbage cans and debris left out on a Sunday await pickup later in the week and blow everywhere. Sidewalks remain unshoveled in the snow. Cars are warehoused until their owners return on the weekend, at best, to drive them. Why pay for an expensive garage in NYC when you can leave your car here. But you can be sure in the summer, hordes of people and vehicles will arrive partying hearty because come on, who really lives here and goes to work.
Oh and Devo, there are actually people who live here and send their kids to the public schools.
This subject has been raised numerous times without any additional insight to offer.
The reality of increased second home ownership is occurring due to the same reasons always raised – home prices, rapacious taxation, wretched school performance and local government, and the dominating presence of an offensive, fundamentalist, homophobic, reactionary religious organization – it hasn’t changed.
It won’t change, so anyone that wants to live here can have a nice (second) beach home with a charming Victorian atmosphere if they are willing to put up with the rest of it.
I would be willing to loosen up on historic preservation and accept some additional development if taxes were lower and services improved as a result. It’s not a popular opinion, but I continue to maintain that historic preservation should not be imposed on individual homeowners while developers can do almost anything they want.
Like I say, OG is not for everyone.
Devo: Personally I thought that second homers raised the quality of life in the Grove, but there is no denying that this demographic shift is one element in a complicated equation that is changing the town, and that is the point of this article and the one in the Times. —-
Several times the phrase “second-home owners” was used pejoratively. Given the sorry state of the local public schools, where no one would want to send their kids if they could avoid it, it is not reasonable to think that anyone would willingly move into Ocean Grove with kids who was going to live there year-round (unless their kids go to boarding school). The only real options is for second-home ownership. But that’s not necessarily bad. My wife and I are active members of the community for most of the year, despite living part time elsewhere.