Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net
April 9, 2021.
Blogfinger has been posting articles about the NERP for years, and our interest has been peaking in the last two years. This week the Coastericans published a front page article about the April 6, 2021 HPC meeting, but the piece is pure mush. They got their information from Bernie Haney who told them that the meeting went just fine–peachy.
The Coaster claims to be the main source of OG news, but they function more like stenographers or as stooges, just writing down whatever press release or crummy interview they get hold of. They never ask any provocative questions.
This year, the biggest news story in the Grove is about the North End Plan moving towards full approval, but the OGNEDs are not there yet, and will the HPC grant them that coveted “Certificate of Appropriateness?”
OGNED will probably get past that, and then all second level permits (plumbing, electric etc) will be a piece of cake for the connected OGNED secret society.
Here is a collection of comments on this subject found on Blogfinger recently:
a. BF: A friend told me that he suspected that the Asbury builders/developers would take over the OG project for completion.
The idea that the North End Redevelopment 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.
b. BF: 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 and bed and breakfasts…
“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.”
The last sentence from the Master Plan is a lie!
c. From Jack Bredin: “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.”
d. BF: ” 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.”
e. BF: Regarding new homes that are made to look like authentic Victorians, it seems to me that the single family home efforts are done very well, but I wonder how successful larger buildings could be from a historic point of view, such as a hotel or a big condo structure or a Mary’s Place sort of building.
Can you point to a larger building in Ocean Grove that actually emulates a historic structure in an authentic way? I wonder how the experts who choose towns for the Register of Historic Places would view such buildings.
f: Biker: I can’t think of any nearby town that has a structure as close as the “White Whale” was to ocean. Manasquan has a close pavilion but it’s also kind of protected by a very large jetty that is also the entrance to the Manasquan River. I can’t imagine the mentality that justifies rebuilding over there, or really even the north end. It should be nothing more than a natural area with trees and park benches.
g. I was thinking of the Cloisters in NYC and the problems that they had with air and ground traffic pollution. The historical building were being effected by this…
The same sort of concerns could be had at the North End site where congestion, air pollution, noise and traffic could occur if that site were developed as described.
I sent this article to the EPA …(.. the person that you mentioned at NJDEP)
Thank you for what you do.
I love your photo and music combinations!!
Be safe and well,
Environmental Worrier in the Grove.
h. About the OGHOA:
BF: As you can see, the Home Groaners have filed a “comment” with the NJDEP regarding OGNED’s application for CAFRA approval. We want to know which professional examined the application for the HOA. Only the Groaners’ president signed it.
We might admire the HG for speaking out, but here is the crux of their “comment:”
“We do not comment to support or oppose this application.”
So, what initially seems to be courage is nothing more than mostly noise.
If you read their document, the only strong part is when they question the risk of flooding due to the underground garage. They admit that they do not have technical expertise, so where is their engineering consultant on this?
They also talk about the fate of the burned-out Pavilion (aka White Whale) , the fate of the Wesley Lake retaining wall and questions about dunes.
But where have they been all these years to express their firm opposition to the entire project including condos, hotel, retail, parking mess, blocked views, RSIS violations, zoning violations, historic approvals by HPC, congestion, filthy street water, Wesley Lake pollution, ugliness, and commercialization of a small, historic town?
How do they represent homeowners when they are supporting the transformation and condoization of our town into Asbury Park South?
This project will help propel our delicate town into another Jersey Shore mishmash.
The HOA’s weak-kneed “comment” is worthless and should have been replaced by vigorous demonstrations at the gates in Trenton, Neptune, and Pitman Avenue in the Grove.
Unlike the Coaster and the Asbury Park Depressed, Blogfinger has a big collection of journalistic protests about the North End; we have been complaining for the last 12 years, as long as we have been alive on-line.
We are like Paul Revere–our job is to alert the citizens. Then they should go from there, but have they? Have they heard “what we’ve been sayin’?”
HARRY NILSSON From Midnight Cowboy
Yes but there weren’t the amount of cars that there are today. Nor the amount of people.
From the historical perspective, the North End was never used for housing other than tents west of the boardwalk. These were removed for the North End Hotel, a large swimming pool, and cafeteria. There was always commercial activity there and that of the early 20th century likely surpassed that of present-day Main Ave.
If you look at the 1897 bird’s eye view map of OG and AP, you will see illustrations of large hotels, mostly in AP, that are somewhat similar to the proposed structures.
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3814a.pm005030/?r=0.057,0.624,0.225,0.086,0