Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.
Talk about fake news, the Coaster has created a front page article (March 2020) about a parking study which has yet to be done. According to Don Stine, a Coasterican who writes about the Grove, the CMA’s parking study is “much-anticipated.” Really? Who is much anticipating it besides Michael Badger, President of the CMA. Badger is using a much-expensive national company, Kimley-Horn to do the study, so we guess that Kimley-Horn is anticipating the study at least as much as the CMA.
And it is likely that any such company with a hyphenated name would be quite expensive. Badger hasn’t revealed how expensive, but the City of Lancaster had this firm do a parking study for $150,000.
So Badger will be having a big bill to pay, so why is he willing to pay it, when a parking study for OG should be done by Neptune, and they budgeted for $8,000? It looks like the Badger Study will be gold-plated while the Neptune study will be coated with Wesley Lake sludge. Evidently Badger doesn’t trust the Neptuners to do the job properly, and he seems determined to find parking for those who come to all those CMA events, both current and future. Otherwise, why spend the money? The CMA has not been known to concern itself about secular Grovers who actually live in town.
By rights, no study to benefit the Grove should be done by the CMA since they have their own agenda and are a private organization.
Of course the Neptuners themselves have concerns about parking that don’t seem to include Grover residents; after all the Township previously rebuked a permit proposal by the HOA Parking Committee, and Mayor Rizzo spit in the eye of the Better Parking Alliance which started out to help the residents of our town and wound up as a tool of Neptune, trying to solve the problems of everyone and anyone besides those of us who actually live here.
The Coaster quotes the new Neptune Mayor Robert Lane, Jr.. who said, “The study is a great thing that will look at all aspects of parking in Ocean Grove.” How can the Mayor say that when the study is not done, and he has no control over its objectives and methods?
Do you believe that Lane thinks that the “study is a great thing?” You think he is OK with the CMA elbowing him and his Committee out of the way in shaping public policy? Badger can do as he pleases with the CMA, but he has no power in implementing a parking plan for the Grove, so why does Badger think he should spend the money?
Stine reports that Kimley-Horn “has met with OGCMA members to confirm the goals of the parking study….” How many OGCMA “members” actually live in OG? Why are those “members” the ones for K-H to interview?
Golly, do you think that those “goals” will include an effort to help the residents of the Grove who suffer the most when mega-events frequently flood our town with cars ? Badger says that “I am really hopeful we can find ways to make parking better for the people of Ocean Grove.” But who are those “people of Ocean Grove” whom he wants to help? Our town has a number of discrete factions, each with its own concerns, including the largest group—the residents who live here.
The Coaster tells us that the CMA has issued a press release. So why didn’t Blogfinger get a copy? In it, they say that Kimley-Horn will begin to meet with “stakeholders” who will be interviewed regarding “the current parking conditions in OG.” These stakeholders include the Chamber of Commercials, the HOA Groaners, “and Neptune residents including members of the Better Parking Alliance (BPA.”)
This reference to “Neptune residents” is very interesting because Badger once said that Neptuners need to be provided for as well as OG residents because, after all, OG is their beach. I am paraphrasing, but that happened. The reference is lost at this time, but keep your eye on that ball as well.
Who is representing the residents of OG when these interviews occur? Certainly not the dopey HOA whose idea of Grovarian public service is to have meetings about climate change, nonexistent antisemitism, and OG history.
So now, the BPA is being lumped in the category of “Neptune residents.” That is an ignominious end for the BPA which so far has not earned the adjective “better.” And notice how the CMA has inserted the Neptuners into our problem. After all, what kind of “fair” solution would we have in the Grove without providing special parking for Neptuners to come to the beach?
Editor’s note: Any effort to make parking better for all by increasing the number of parking spaces is wasting time because all they can do is redistribute the existing inadequate number of spaces. As Blogfinger has said in the past, the only solution is to reduce the demand, for example by limiting the number of big events in town such as the Giant Flea Market and Bridgefest among others.
And any plan must play favorites among all who drive into town. But the one faction which overwhelms all of us in season is the Camp Meeting Association, and they are increasing the number of their religious based events. Did you ever take their summer booklet and count the events—there are hundreds each season.
It will be fascinating to see the result of the CMA parking study, if they release it. Meanwhile it will be every man, woman and undetermined gender for themselves.
HANK WILLIAMS, JR
Nancy,
“… Then, guarantee parking spots for the residents in front of their homes.”
Sad to say that there are more homes than parking spaces, and what about condo owners that live in a 4 story building? I don’t think “in front of their homes” would be possible.
Nancy: Thank you for taking a long shot at this never ending saga. But the South End has ecologic and other issues, so your parking garage won’t fly. Here is a link that is very revealing post regarding prior efforts to develop the South End:
https://wp.me/pqmj2-v3I
I read this and am nothing but confused. It seems fairly simple to me. The Camp Meeting Association owns the property Ocean Grove sits on. They can do anything they want with their property. They have lease agreements with the people who have properties in the Grove.
My idea would be to take the property that is empty on the south-side and turn it into dedicated parking for the beaches and for the evening concerts and events. It could be 3 stories and designed with a very Victorian look. The Camp meeting would own it but the taxes on it would go to the town. A win-win. Unless someone gets greedy.
This past summer taught us a lesson. From now on people can purchase their beach tags online. After that, no more beach tags for the day. This limits the day trippers parking. When will Neptune realize that our beaches are limited in handling the large beach populations that come in daily. MANY of the beach visitors take a parking spot all day and into the night.
Then, guarantee parking spots for the residents in front of their homes. Leave the spaces for the shopping area open but with say 3 hour time limit on parking.
And probably the biggest problem, the people coming over to park from Asbury Park. For them I suggest that when people get their beach tickets they have to either print out they are a beach ticket along with a parking pass to put in their car. If they don’t have anyway to print the Pass they can get one from the beach attendant when they show their ticket on the phone.
And Neptune could profit off of this. (since it seems they think of Ocean Grove as their cash cow anyway.) If someone parks in an assigned space of a resident, they get towed. If they spend too long in the shopping district and their tire has been marked, they get ticketed and possibly towed.
How about it?
Nancy Martin, Ocean Grove Homeowner
Ray Sutera,
The process you describe is referred to as ‘Induced demand’.
The seeds of induced demand are planted by towns that approve multi-family housing in single-family zones but fail to comply with the required State Standards (RSIS) for roads and parking.
The town adopts the zoning law. Zoning and planning boards are encouraged to break the zoning law with a “wink and a nod” from the town, and the state looks the other way, saving developers a bundle, while residents get stuck in traffic and drive in circles looking for a parking space.
When people complain, the Town says “let’s do another parking study”
And so far the only one doing a parking study is the Camp Meeting Association
Editor’s note: Ray included with his comment a link which described a complex analysis of parking which came to a striking conclusion: The more parking spaces that are created in a town, the more parkers you will get driving into town. This is brilliant/true and it goes along with other ideas that we have heard about OG’s problems including the idea that reducing the supply of tourists driving here will help the residents deal with the “Glut Who Ate Ocean Grove.” —Paul Goldfinger Editor.
Kevin Chambers – So many illegal and favoritism acts you bring up. I don’t understand why they are not taken to task or cited on all these infractions, including the ones you bring up related to their own buildings and inadequate parking. It all smells rotten to me. And in this heat that’s a problem.
Thank you for your enlightening Research and facts.
There’s actually an argument for NOT increasing the number of parking spaces at all. More parking spaces can actually cause more traffic. This, in turn, could exacerbate the parking problem even more. An article at Bloomberg CitiLab points this out. It doesn’t directly compare with the situation in OG but I think it’s close enough to be taken seriously:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-12/study-the-strongest-evidence-yet-that-abudant-parking-causes-more-driving
Will the OGCMA’S parking study be using the illegal zoning that Neptune has established for OG?
Will this study address all parking requirements for the OGCMA’s buildings? Will it be addressing that the law requires the OGCMA to provide parking for all its leases? Will this study address that all the OGCMA lots with 99 year renewable leases must all be zoned and addressed and enforced as single family uses?
If the OGCMA’s study is based on Neptune’s illegal zoning with its illegal definitions and it’s refusal to incorporate state and federal laws, than both the OGCMA and Neptune’s studies will both be a fraud against the state, federal government and the people of OG.
Kevin Chambers