The Great Auditorium, Ocean Grove, NJ. Does this look like a town that needed an ” Area in Need of Redevelopment?” Paul Goldfinger photo.. Blogfinger.net. Undated.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net 5/15/19. Ocean Grove, NJ, USA.
“Redevelopment is a tool which may be used by municipalities to turnaround stagnating, deteriorating, underutilized, or “undeveloped” properties which are not being properly maintained or invested in through the instrumentality of private capital.” (From the NJ Redevelopment Law)
In 2007, the CMA and WAVE persuaded Neptune Township to declare the North End of Ocean Grove as an “Area In Need of Redevelopment.” The Planning Board agreed, and the deed was done, giving developers the green light to dump the existing single family home zoning recommended by the Master Plan in favor of a mixed use that would allow the commercialized NERP which we have all heard about.
But that designation was inappropriate for the North End of Ocean Grove where there was no shortage of investors to develop that property. This was a decision that appeared to be illegal and was done to enrich investors at the expense of our historic town and its citizens.
Now the latest group of developers (OGNED) plans to implement that same designation when the best interests of the community would be better served by the Township’s cancelling that 12 year old plan and reverting to the original single family zoning.
BILL CHARLAP “Dream.”