Blogfinger

The Aurora before Old Forge got hold of it. Internet photo.

Here is a link to our last progress note in 2018 including Jack Bredin’s painting of the Aurora:

The Aurora BF 2018 when it was sold and the Planning Board was bulldozed.

Why did the Town of Neptune allow the Aurora zoning to be changed by this owner?  Below is a link

2018: Changing the Aurora zoning. Something fishy…BF article

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net

Here is an update on the Aurora’s status as a 4-condo building in Ocean Grove. This progress note is based on a large advertisement, presented as if it were news, in the Real Estate section of the Star-Ledger, Nov. 22, 2020.

The headline says that “The “Aurora, a historic 30 room hotel in vibrant Ocean Grove is transformed.”

I get a kick out of seeing the distortions and fake news perpetrated by supposed journalists–in this case Nancy Parello who signed her name to the piece.    Wonder what she meant when she referred to the Grove as “vibrant” and what is the “transformation” that would allow them to proclaim that they are somehow recreating “history.”

a.  They tell us that “a piece of history is for sale in Ocean Grove.” Their theme of reliving history in that condoized building is just nonsense.  The Aurora participated in OG history as a hotel, but now it has been turned into a commercial venture with 4 condominiums under the same roof with two elevators; hardly a “historic transformation.”  The actual transformation is about synthetic materials,new windows, cosmetic ginger-bread flourishes outside, ocean views, and “luxurious” interiors.

Converting historic buildings into condos has resulted in over 300 such makeovers in OG in recent years—-no condos ever existed during OG’s history, and no such conversions have made our town better—except for the bank accounts of developers along with their partners at the CMA and the Neptune boards and the boards’ “professionals.”

When the new owners of the Aurora went to the Planning Board, their lawyer had no patience or respect for the public or the Board.

b. The developer, Dave Papes, says that a “former 30 room hotel, circa 1884, is now four luxury homes, wrapped in history.”    But what exactly does “wrapped in history” mean?  He implies that somehow living there will offer a sort of historic experience connecting the dots back to 1884 . But this is just gibberish.

Two of those homes sold within a few weeks of going on the market. The other two will go soon.

c .Papes, the President of Old Forge Luxury Homes said, “We sought to revive this intricate building while respecting the history of the town and the community’s tight-knit nature.”  Really?  What does this guy know about our “community” and its “nature?”

And how does he show respect for history? He left the place looking like it did before he arrived,  but the heart and soul of a historic building is more than remodeling.  It is about recreating what it was over 100 years ago, and that is not what we have here now.  They took a truly historic building and then turned it into something else.  And the Planning Board let them get away with it.

d. He also said that he  “renovated a cherished building in a town that maintains strict standards when it comes to preserving the enclave’s historic nature.”

So this developer, who knows nothing about our town, has decided that we have “strict standards” regarding historic preservation, but that is not the truth. If we had strict standards, he would not have been permitted to put up his 4 condominiums inside his fake “historic” building.

And he refers to the Grove as an “enclave.”  Where did he find that word to describe the Grove?   An enclave is, according to Oxford Languages,  “a portion of territory within or surrounded by a larger territory whose inhabitants are culturally or ethnically distinct.”  Does he have a clue of what he speaks?  Talk about baloney.

e. In an effort to provide a lifestyle narrative he talks about the Great Auditorium as a place that “still hosts concerts and other events year round.”    Isn’t it curious that he gives the impression of the GA as being a venue which will provide lovely entertainment for his condo owners without mentioning a word about the religious heritage in our town or explaining that there hasn’t been a secular concert there in a couple of years, and there are no programs during the winter.   He refers to “other events year round” but that is just plain baloney.

f. He concludes with more nonsense when he says, “We are very pleased with the way the Aurora turned out.  There was a lot of pressure to get this right because it is such an important part of Ocean Grove’s history. We always say our buyers are purchasing a piece of history.”

This is a piece of double talk.  The last owner, who owned the building as a single family home, never seemed to mention that he owned “a piece of history.” He actually owned a pizza joint downtown.

And, as far as “pressure to get this right,” the only pressure was to gut the place and make it marketable at over $1 million each unit. In addition, in all the advertisements for the Aurora which we have seen, at no time  is the word “parking” mentioned;  and no mention that the project violates state parking rules. (RSIS standards.)

And regarding the neighbors’ lifestyles, he evidently didn’t notice that there are neighbors nearby,  and his project will just amplify the congestion in season.