North End disaster zone. Where’s the sun? Photo December 2023. Runner looks straight ahead. Paul Goldfinger photo.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor Blogfinger.net Ocean Grove, NJ, USA.
The Ocean Grove Home Owners Legal Affairs Committee has been doing a remarkable job to combat the actions of OGNED, the re-developer who is trying to slam its way into a shovel-ready situation. Finally we have some big guns on our side. How effective they will be remains to be seen. They have influence but no raw power. They basically are offering suggestions and insights; trying to pressure the actual power base at the Neptune Township Committee to do the right thing for We-the-People.
But if OGNED can be finally dismissed from the public re-development process then maybe OG could get another chance to redesign the North End from scratch to benefit all of us who live and visit here.
There is an active law suit regarding OGNED’s attempt to bypass the HPC which has turned down the request for a Certificate of Appropriateness. This approval is required by the original 2008 NERP. (North End Redevelopment Plan). The lawyers refer to this topic as the “Settlement Lawsuit.”
OGNED has come up with an “amended Redevelopment Plan”. This is not the first time that the RP was amended. Mayor Rizzo signed one in 2019. I don’t have a copy of that, but Blogfinger had assumed that the original plan could not be changed without starting the process of the Municipal Land Use Law all over again, but our side hasn’t said that.
Our side is challenging the “Amended Redevelopment Plan” but I’m not exactly sure why an amendment for any reason is allowed. That was the part of the defective 2/24 meeting ZOOM that left me high and dry and missing some key points.
NORTH END OG REDEVELOPMENT OVERVIEW AND QUESTIONS
Above is a document prepared by the Home Owners Legal Affairs Committee. It is called:
“Background and Questions About the Proposed Settlement Agreement and Amended Redevelopment Plan.”
It is attempting to reduce the issues into an understandable list summarizing facts about the North End Redevelopment background, the Lawsuit, the Proposed Settlement, and questions for the Township Committee to answer. There is a meaningful question at the end: “What happens if the Township wins?”
A “win” is to preserve the HPC’s authority.
North End Talking Points 2024-02-26
additional talking points_settlement agreement_OGNED_02
If any of you are up to reading these 3 documents, go ahead. I got them from the HOA on Facebook.
If you have questions, I suggest you contact the Legal Affairs Committee. (Barbara Burns HOA)
–Paul at Blogfinger.net
JOE BROWN: