Rendering of the proposed North End Project seen by looking west from the Ocean. Shore Point Architecture. 2019

This wonderful OG historic home is what our houses should reflect. The proposed monster at the North End is like the Greek Temple in being totally incongruous to our visual history.    We should instead get 25 single family homes like this.   Paul Goldfinger photograph July 4, 2020. © Embury and New Jersey Avenues.

By Paul Goldfinger, Blogfinger.net

Ocean Grove is a historic and essentially beautiful town, and the HPC is supposed to insist on appropriate architecture, with the support of OG citizens.

Don’t expect our elected officials, CMA, Chamber of Commercials, Historical Society, Groaners, and historic Grover families to care.

Did you ever drive or bike along Ocean Avenue in Bradley Beach and be impressed by the welcoming and inspiring  Ocean Grove skyline along the northern banks of Fletcher Lake?

And have you glanced up lately from Bradley or OG to get a glimpse of how the Asbury skyline has been deformed by that giant skyscraper with the multi-million dollar penthouses on top? That building doesn’t fit in, but maybe AP will become another Long Branch. They don’t seem to value their history at all.

The North End project proposed for OG  will create a monolith which will compromise views of Wesley Lake and the Atlantic Ocean for those who live behind, and it will change our northeastern skyline as seen from the boardwalk, the beach, and the ocean as well as sidelong from the north and the south.  All of us will be affected by this monstrous design.

It will introduce visual ugliness to our town in addition to crowding, more cars, more groundwater dirt–all ugly; as if our north end had become Asbury Park South.  Will we still be able to retain our historic register appointment?

The new and illegal Rizzo North End Redevelopers Agreement only mentions blocked views once when it brags that “view corridors” will be left along Spray Avenue “through to Wesley Lake.”

That’s not much of a promise if you look at a map of OG.

And speaking of maps, if you look at the CMA’s map of OG in their “Joyful in Hope” Summer Program Guide, you will see that the North End site has been cleverly eliminated so as not to distract anyone with the geography of the site plan.

Along Main Street Asbury Park looking straight east into Sunset Park. Blogfinger photo. July, 2020. Even overdrawn A. Park has left this vista alone.

Great architects take into consideration the visual vistas that accompany their designs, but not in Ocean Grove.

Stonehenge. Photograph by Paul Goldfinger. Even those Druid architects from 3000 years ago considered the setting, light and breezes. Do you suppose they were Druish? ©

Those North End ocean views should be left open for the people, the light and the sea breezes, and the views there are part of our history and should be left alone,  especially for those who live in that neighborhood and whose homes are often up to 150 years old.  What about our history in this misbegotten plan?  We must pay attention to the HPC.

This is from our November 2019 article about the HPC Report on the latest North End Plan:

The document of greatest interest is the General Conclusions prepared by the Historic Preservation Commission and the Neptune Township Land Use Department.  For more details, go to OGHOA.org.

There are nine conclusions, and here, below, is the essence of it:

a.  The site plan does not follow the historic site plan.  “This is contrary to the mandate of the Redevelopment Plan that the site be developed in accordance with the Period of Significance ” (late 19th and early 20th century) “Instead it follows the 1930’s development of the North End.”

b. “The proposed North End plan does not follow Ocean Grove’s historic planning principles.  It offers an “isolated and virtually private enclave, defined by fences and gates, with minimal controlled public access.”

c. The complex resembles a contemporary gated sub-division”  which “contradicts the open interaction that is the very intention and fabric of this Historic District.”

d. “The redevelopment ignores the precedent of the grid of 30′ x 60′ lots.” Instead it would become “a large space with buildings that are out of scale and character with Ocean Grove’s historic architecture.”

e.  The landscape plan looks like what might be found in a “contemporary suburban development.”  The “design of the main entry gates and columns separates the development from the rest of the Ocean Grove community.”

f. “The residents-only, fenced-in, private open space is far greater than the public access easement area.  This is antithetical to Ocean Grove’s historic planning principles of minimal private open space in favor of shared public open space.”

g. There are problems with the site plan’s conforming to OG’s urban town plan and grid.

h. A flare was placed on the north side of Spray Avenue where none was historically intended.

i. “The proposed plan does not demonstrate an in depth understanding of or regard for, Ocean Grove’s character and the need to preserve the town’s ‘sense of place, established in its plan.”

This document ought to be the kiss of death for this OGNED plan.  If the plan passes despite this, then all hell should break loose.

Congratulations to the HPC for courageously telling the truth to power.

All of us should read through the documents, especially the HPC report,  and then attend that meeting.

Undoubtedly the developers will try to slip by these objections with the help of double talk and their allies at the Mother Ship. But the citizens need to stop that freight train.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB:   “Orgullecida.”