Blogfinger

An impassioned Grover makes her case. 2/26/24 Paul Goldfinger photo from the live stream.

Paul Goldfinger photo.  Speaker turns away after his 5 minute at the podium  as audience applauds.

By Paul Goldfinger.  Editor Blogfinger.net

February 26, 2024.    The meeting of the Township Committee dragged on for 3 hours and was dominated by about ten Grovers stepping up to the mic and  demanding that the Committee vote “No” to a question of whether OGNED should get away with an end-run that would allow it to proceed without HPC approval.   There is an active law suit now festering over this.  The room was crowded with Grovers who applauded for their representatives at the mic.

Most Grovers insisted  that the HPC must be included in the process because, as many said, we all have to follow the same rules. There should be no exception for the big bucks, well connected, lawyered-up OGNED bullies. Some speakers told the Committee, “You’re not listening to what the people want.”  Or, “Please listen to us.”

Some speakers questioned why the Township was so eager to approve a project which We-the-People don’t want. “What”  one asked “is the Township getting for its strenuous and unyielding support of OGNED?”

“Why not support HPC?”  asked another.

Another wanted to know if these Committee persons actually read all the related papers.   Another advised the members to make up their own minds based on what the people want rather than listening to “professionals.”

Anabelle Bissette asked the Committee, “If you are thinking of voting ‘yes’ tell me why!”

And this really gets to the heart of the problem.  What is the truth to be found in the hearts of Neptune power brokers?

Andy Levine described OG as “the goose that lays a golden egg;” saying that OG provides 40% of tax revenue in Neptune.  He also said that it will take 7 years to complete this outrageous project. And  even with the garage, parking will be insufficient.

Paul Kaplan said that polling shows that 83% of Grovers want a “No” vote.

JP Thompson told the Commitee that if they cave on this issue, there will be even more law suits coming.

Kevin Chambers practically hit them with Hardiboard as he talked about zoning and the re-development laws.  The lawyer Krimko said that Chambers lost his remote suit challenging the zoning changes at the North End, but despite her innuendos about him, he was right despite Krimko and that judge.

Krimko also said that her positions are “legally valid” while our lawyers offer “disinformation.”

But having said all that, this HPC focus seems to me to be beside the point.  In addition to the yackety-yak about HPC, there were those who honed in on the project itself, a concept that never was accepted from the start by many Grovers including we Blogfinger writers.

I could not help but imagine, yes or no, that we will  wind up with a massive ugly project that doesn’t belong in the Grove in the first place.  “It will be out of character for the Grove,” said a woman.

We should have years ago demanded that the Master Plan be followed, grabbing that  2008 Neptune Committee by their imaginary throats until they agreed with “We-the-People.”   Now it’s too late, barring a miracle.

We lost this battle when the original Neptune Committee approved giving WAVE/CMA/OGNED  the gift of an  illegal and unnecessary  multi-use “zone in need of re-development.”    Tonight, one speaker  said that the property  was “not blighted’.” And another told the committee that a a “yes” vote tonight would be based on “fraud.”   The entire town should have stood up back then and screamed, “No!”

So at this session tonight I caught a faint whiff of  impossible dreams that even now we might hope for a new direction with a new developer who might create a North End with light, sea breezes, family neighborhoods, and parklike settings with the ocean visible as we walked or biked by.

And the legalisms tonight  that flew around like shrapnel were disturbing , because I understood little of it, and it seemed like lawyering out of control, beside the point,  and too late to make any of us Grovers really happy.  Jennifer Krimko, lawyer for the invaders, spoke loudly with a threatening tone.

So, when the lights went out on my computer at 10 pm, I saw that Blogfinger’s prior efforts for years, by people like Jack Bredin, Kevin Chambers, myself, and Charles Layton since 2009, were just blowing in the wind as we fought the plan with words and laws that are often ignored in this town, when we needed  Grovers with pitchforks and signs, picketing the Mother Ship, and raising money for principled lawyers to achieve secession.

I feel sorry for those who currently live at or near the North End, and there are many issues that look like they will go unresolved such as environmental concerns, fire risks, public access, and a hyper-local area that will be called Asbury Park South.  And is any one thinking about what is in store for the other side of the Casino?

And for those who said tonight that this project could  ruin the town, well we need to now turn our attention to the culture wars here: separation of church and state, recognition of the secular community in town, promotion of the arts, enforcement of laws, encouraging more racial diversity here–let’s start by inviting minorities to visit our neighborhoods, beaches and events, preserving our historic heritage,  and trying to have the various factions in town work together to reassess and enforce the Master Plan.

BOB DYLAN