Re-post from July, 2020.
Facing west from the boardwalk at the North End of Ocean Grove.
On the left is the hotel. In the middle is retail. On the right are condominiums.
SUFJAN STEVENS: “No Man’s Land.”
This land is not your land, for the right hand
Takes what it can, ransacks with the mad man
For this land is not yours or mine to have
This land was made for the good of itself
Takes what it can, ransacks with the mad man
For this land is not yours or mine to have
This land was made for the good of itself
–Paul Goldfinger, Editor@ Blogfinger.net
Lady Bird,
Oh My is correct.
So far they only have a concept plan to access the completed project with Emergency vehicles,
and they have no Fire Department approval.
The plan is, when a Fire Engine goes down the new proposed extension of Beach Ave to a Dead End at the Boardwalk, it would then have to back all the way out.
This plan is nuts, and hazardous.
We had an interesting discussion on Blogfinger. (2013) about how the Allegria. (Francis Asbury Manor) got approval back in 1947. Here is a link: read the comments.
https://wp.me/pqmj2-ki8
To reply to the access question, they figured that out too. They are building a dozen single family homes on the northnside of Spray Avenue. Then, they are extending Beach Ave north of Spray Ave so there is a road right along Wesley Lake to link up with Beach Ave. so residents/visitors can drive in or out on Ocean Ave or Beach Ave.
Note the hotel is five stories. That tops Jack Green’s condo complex at 30 Ocean Pathway. The only building higher in OG is the ugly brick Allegria Senior Living by Fletcher Lake.
I wonder if that bright yellow will be passed by the HPC. Is that color “Victorian?”
I suspect that they will look under some rock to find that color listed as Kosher.
I remember that era in the Poconos. The big difference was that people then were encouraged to invest in land and development, and then, when it went downhill, those investors received pennies on the dollar if they tried to sell their property.
Quite a few of the big resorts collapsed and died, such as the Mt. Airy Lodge.
But nothing there compares to Ocean Grove since our problem as citizens is not the investors’ problem, although we did witness a big project collapse in Asbury Park years ago and it was a steel skeleton for a long while.
But there is an aspect of this which involves the value of homes in the Grove once the new North End is built. Maybe home values will go up, but the nature and character of the town have an uncertain future, and quite a few people have already left the Grove for a variety of reasons, and now the North End’s anticipated future may push others over the edge.
How many home owners will want to live in a congested Asbury Park South. Quality of life trumps money for many. Paul @Blogfinger
The new NERP development reminds me of the past developments built in the Poconos in the late ’90s which all eventually went bust and turned the place into a slum. Developers and mortgage brokers made money and everyone else lost everything. So at least there is a bright side here!
Peach, I think I would paint the hotel peach…
How are they going to solve the access issue? It’s such a ‘remote’ site.
And Paul, the people in OG may finally wake up when they start driving piles up there at the North End and their walls start to crack.
And Jack…
As you know, the 2011 Neptune Master Plan for the Historic District (Ocean Grove) says in its “goals and objectives” component:”
“………encouraging new construction that is compatible in scale and design to the physical character of the surrounding neighborhood.”
And “new buildings in such areas should be on the same scale and should have facades compatible with the older buildings.”
It also says, “The physical context of Ocean Grove is shaped by evolving uses and materials. The decline of the hotels and rooming houses that previously provided summer lodging gave rise to multi-family residential uses and provided additional rooming and boarding uses for the indigent.
“These changes had deleterious effects on Ocean Grove. Ordinance changes prohibiting similar conversions to multi-family residential use have limited additional deterioration and facilitated a renaissance of investment in single family housing, bed and breakfasts and historic hotels.
“These types of uses are more appropriate to the scale and character of the district and provide appropriate development that preserves the character of Ocean Grove. Through these efforts, the Township has demonstrated a strong commitment* to the protection and preservation of Ocean Grove’s unique town plan, particularly its flared setback, and all properties designated as having architectural and historic significance.”
Blogfinger: This Master Plan is from 2011, and nowhere in it does the document explain that the zoning for the North End was illegally changed via a phony maneuver called “A Zone in Need of Redevelopment.” That makes the Master Plan dishonest and illegitimate by skirting a description of what went on in 2008 with that designation, because that zoning change violated the legitimate zoning needs of our historic district.
That process from 2008 should be investigated by an outside entity to look for illegalities and dishonesty and placing the needs and welfare of our Historic District beneath the needs and welfare of developers.
There’s something rotten in OG and it needs to be exposed, before construction is permitted at that site (OG North End.)
*That’s a lie!
The following quote is from the 2008 NERP just approved by former Mayor Carol Rizzo signed in 2019.
Page 21. ‘The Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan proposes development that is smaller in scale but both similar and compatible with that which has been proposed for neighboring areas within Asbury Park.’.
A friend told me that he suspected that the Asbury builders/developers would take over the OG project for completion.
The idea that our North End plan has been influenced by the burgeoning tourist generating, condo building, noise making, in your face style of Asbury is undeniable.
And the Asbury scene coupled with the new OG North End scene will be a marriage made-in-heaven for those who would use and abuse Ocean Grove while ignoring our historic heritage and our goals to have a unique community of our own south of the A. Parkers.
Asbury Park south?