The burial site of the White Whale (North End Pavilion). Paul Goldfinger photo taken from the Ocean Grove boardwalk 8/8/22. ©
Paul Goldfinger, MD. Editor Blogfinger.net. 8/8/22.
Lately we have been focused on the HPC and its differences with OGNED. But is this merely a distraction? Will OGNED eventually get its way at the design frontier?
It’s likely that OGNED will get the design that it wants, but for the residents of OG, the entire design should have been trashed because it is big and ugly and it will change Ocean Grove into Asbury South at our North End.
That’s the history of big ugly condos in town which always get approved eventually even without any off-street parking.
But there are a few things I wonder about, but being a one-man -show now without a staff of investigative reporters, I hope that some of you experts out there might clear some things up:
a. How is it that the original plan from 2008 could be drastically changed without going through another round of the redevelopment process? The “redeveloper” OGNED never went through the required bidding process–how did they get away with that? The”new plan” is much different from the original and the only legal plan—2008.
b. And why didn’t the State insist that a “new” redevelopment plan go through the entire process again. We know that a Redevelopers Plan is a public plan—that is how such zoning changes happen. So why hasn’t Neptune taken the lead on this process as the public’s representative?
c. And what was done to insure that the “new plan” is in the public”s best interest? For example, the idea of insuring that Wesley Lake be environmentally preserved has somehow vanished off the table.
d. And, remember the “White Whale?” that was part of the original plan, but it was never clear how it would be done—-And then it burned to the ground in 2019, and then any plan for that part of the North End simply vanished.
e. And how about engineering.? We all worried about that underground garage, but somehow, by some magic, it was not cancelled by the DEP even though it will sit between the lake and the ocean. How did that happen without any information for the public?
And did you know that there were no pilings in the original design for the hotel and then someone came up with cement pilings for the new hotel?
And, the new hotel will abut the boardwalk, but how will that be engineered? And where are the pilings for the garage? Are there any?
f. Then who will oversee this complicated project with concerns about flooding, structural issues, environmental concerns, pilings, etc? Will OGNED keep watch on itself? We don’t even know who the OGNED investors are. Shouldn’t the Township be in charge on behalf of we the people?
Here is a handwritten document slipped to me a few years ago. I don’t know who wrote it, but it strongly suggests that the original 2008 North End Plan was a lot different from the “new plan.” How does OGNED get some of these changes instituted in the dead of night without a process which would clue in we -the-people?
Did the Mayor know what she was signing in 2019–did she know about these changes?
Jack is sure that our best interests wound up far down in the ocean.
Have we been protected with proper checks and balances? I don’t know. Just wondering.
You know, I am good at wondering. But I don’t know much of anything about all these concerns. I am a physician. I can put a pacemaker wire in your heart, but Blogfinger can’t find the truth without help.
I am Paul Revere–I can tell you that the British are coming, but somebody needs to engineer a defense for the Continental Army.
–Paul 8/9/22
AMY WINEHOUSE. “a Song For You”
You came out in front, well baby I was hiding
But now I’m so much better with my words coming together
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding..”
Great idea. But the site plan may or may not accommodate such an idea.The old community pool is gone, although the wreckage was still evident for years. I’ve heard no outcry to bring it back. The current developers did not mention a pool for the new North End.
Maybe the new hotel would have one–after all, the HPC did allow a rooftop pool on Ocean Avenue at the Greek Temple.
Has anyone ever inquired about OG residents right to having a pool and beach club once again (like many neighboring towns) or am I just dreaming…
A serious question must be asked, were any of the public hearings legal that created the North End Area in Need of Development and was criminal activity committed to create that area?
Under a court case, Loechner v. Campoli, it is clear that the North End which was owned by the OGCMA was and always has been merged with all their other land including the boardwalk and the beach. As you have pointed out, the pavilion on the beach was attached to the hotel. This in fact, under Loechner, merged the North End land with the boardwalk and all the beach land since all of this land continues to be owned by the OGCMA.
Before a finding of a need to develop, the OGCMA was by law required to seek a subdivision. This was known by Neptune’s officials and hidden from the public at all its hearings.
Even more troubling, Neptune hired a 2nd law firm using tax payer money to write a report that further hid this information from the public.
Until Neptune adheres to State RSIS requirements, Federal ADA requirements, properly inacts legal zoning definitions and uses, creates a legal zoning district that follows State law, not only can the North End not move forward but it will/cannot be permitted under legal zoning.
David: This piece is not a technical discussion of the merits of pilings or no pilings. And your point about the height of the boardwalk at the hotel is of great interest.
But this post is primarily about the process of approving details of a huge “redevelopment” project being considered for a critical and environmentally sensitive location in a tiny Jersey Shore town.
This OG location is the last such large piece of available and empty land at the ocean’s edge at the Jersey Shore, and its development will have an impact on the quality of life of Grovarian residents.
And, as an aside, does anyone know what Asbury Park has to say about this project? They do own the Casino and some of the land on the OG side.
Many buildings in OG do not have pilings. The 1889 brick museum/condo building on Pitman Ave. was erected in an astonishing 14 weeks. The walls are supported by a 15-inch thick concrete footing built in a trench under the cellar floor. This extends 6 inches beyond the thickness of the walls.
The front door of the old North End Hotel opened directly onto the boardwalk. The new hotel is supposed to do the same. Unless the boardwalk is to be raised, how can the new hotel be 10 feet higher?