Paul Goldfinger, reporting with eyes glazed over……
May 7, 2021. Blogfinger.net
The Coastericans interviewed Pres. Michael Badger of the CMA, and those results were published in the Coaster on May 6 and reported by us that same day (yesterday,) but a few tantalizing items were omitted by us…..until now:
a. Badger: “The OGCMA wants Neptune residents to be able to access the beach and not have Ocean Grove become a ‘closed community.'”
This is not the first time this obnoxious sentiment has been stated publicly by Badger. Evidently he sees a problem with “Neptune residents accessing our beach.” What do you suppose he means?
Is he is referring to African-Americans having some sort of difficulty coming to OG’s beach? Is he accusing our town of incipient or actual racism?
Isn’t it insulting to that black community to think that they are Incapable of “accessing” our beach? If there is some impediment, which has not been so far revealed or otherwise imagined, then maybe it is the high cost of going on the beach as determined by the CMA.
I have documented “people of color” arriving after 5 pm to happily enter our beach for free. That is a lovely time to visit, and I know of no one complaining about it.
Maybe the CMA should have a spokesman who speaks clearly to the press and to the public. And maybe the CMA should have some sort of means test for enjoying our beach, and then allowing free access to the poor.
And what he means by a “closed community” is a worrisome mystery.
b. Badger: “We do not want to lose our Victorian charm and timelessness. Some of these (parking) suggestions {would} create a more urban tone and we want to remain a peaceful town.”
Would someone from the CMA care to translate this potentially obnoxious last sentence? How can we understand the CMA when their vision is presented in a cloud of smoke with language that is unclear?
c. The CMA’s consultants want to implement targeted meter zones, but, according to the Coaster, “The Camp Meeting Association opposes any metered parking.”
d. The consultants recommended a shuttle service to the beach and to church services. But Badger says, “We did have a shuttle service for three years (2010-2012) but nobody used it.”
Perhaps that’s because it was poorly implemented and marketed. The consultants suggested that a shuttle should be funded by Neptune and the CMA, “but Badger said that the CMA would not fund a shuttle.”
e. As for residential parking permits, the Coaster reports, “As a stand alone program, residential parking permits are projected to range from $420.00 to $1050.00 each based on the number of homes participating.”
How about free permits considering all the taxes which OG pays to Neptune. Do they charge special fees to residents of, say, Shark River Hills who got a new park and a new marina recently?
OK, we made it to “e” but now we’ve had enough, even though there is more. You can buy a Coaster and read it; it will be festering in stores until next Thursday
This parking topic is doomed to turmoil. We await the verdict of the governing body, but don’t hold your breaths. The Neptuners won’t spend money or time or commitment on a working solution that will make everyone happy. And, besides, there is no such thing!
And the CMA spent a lot of money on a study which they largely disagree with. They will be asking us for donations, but let’s wait to hear that pitch.
I say, “Jeepers Creepers” by Kermit Ruffins of New Orleans where there’s no parking on Bourbon Street, and no one gives a damn. We should serve alcohol on Main Avenue in the Grove and fund designated drivers into town and out.
5 years ago (2016) at a Neptune Committee meeting looking at the parking situation: “Randy Bishop, Committeeman, was dismissive when he said, ‘This is not exactly a new problem. I was on five other parking subcommittees, and there was no solution.’ ”
One of the points made at the Neptune parking meeting was that any plan had to pay for itself. A resident permit system is not going to work unless you have agents walking down the street ticketing vehicles that lack the proper permits. These agents would be new township employees and would have to be paid. I suspect it would not be desirable to divert current police to do this. It seems there was a desire to have parking zones within OG and the residents of each would vote on whether or not to have permits in their area.
You want beach access? Buy a badge. Go for free after 5 pm as noted in the article. I’d like ‘access’ to park on the street near my house or which I pay $15-16,000 per year in taxes. I don’t complain about that very often for that ‘is the life I have chosen.’ So, the OGCMA ought to be more concerned with the residents/homeowners in Ocean Grove rather than looking to score points in the press. I will be damned if I am going to pay $1,000 per year to park.