She said, “The Neptune Township Committee will convene a special meeting Sat, Jan. 28 , 2023, to discuss a proposed pilot program for residential parking permits in Ocean Grove, where narrow streets and summer-season overcrowding have long creating frustration.” That one sentence is a breath of fresh air even if it is not totally accurate.
Let’s consider her point of view.
a. She says that the result of our parking problems in season is “frustration.”
I don’t think any prior news report has used that word. Why is that important? Well it is because it reflects what Blogfinger has been saying for years: This is a QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE involving most importantly the community of Grovarian residents.
It is the residents, home owners and renters, who have been ignored and “frustrated” by the blind-sighted officials and organizations in this town. The mobs of tourists in season should not be given top priority in any proposed plan. Let’s give our citizens top priority and be specific as to which group of drivers deserve priority.
b. Ms. Williams spoke in terms of “summer-season overcrowding.” YES! Those of us who live here are drowning in tourists, and it is the equation of too many tourist vehicles overwhelming too few parking spaces that is the fundamental problem.
Blogfinger has been saying that for years: Reduce the number of giant tourist events, as is done in many shore towns, and the problem will be over. The Township has control over permits for events that bring out-of-town folks here by the thousands on summer weekends, causing “FRUSTRATION” for our own tax paying townies.
Let the mega-events be held in some huge space with excess parking like the Monmouth Country Fair Ground. The giant flea market does not have to be held in our small residential town!
c. And finally the Coasterican reporter decides that that one of our main problems is “narrow streets.” Well, la-de-dah! That may not be true, but it is marvelous to contemplate because it is a new idea, and we sure can use new ideas in the Grove.
The meeting will be held at the Arts Center at 9 am this Saturday 1/28/23. After a stultifying presentation of plan details you will hear questions that will indicate yet other failures to solve the Grovarian parking mess, but I sure would like one of those permits. And let’s put Ms. Williams on that committee!
12/15/24. UPDATE: Now, in the Coasterican December 12, 2024 edition, once again a Coaster reporter tries to cover a Township meeting regarding the possibility of permit parking in the Grove. This reporter is supposed to tell us what happened at the Committee meeting of several days ago. But instead, the article is hopelessly biased against permit parking. We are told that the police chief is not going to help with enforcement including signage, distributing permits, or towing.
Then we are told that the Township Attorney would have to navigate “the county” and an assignment judge. And then the “Mercantile Officer” would also have to be involved. So, according to the unbiased attorney, “Success of such a plan would require multiple departments to work together.”
There was testimony by residents, but not a single pro-permit resident was quoted. Instead, a resident named Kevin Cole was given 6 paragraphs to exhibit his negativity. Also another resident named Wendy Stockdale also flashed her shiny opposition.
The article said that residents who were pro permit spoke, but we were not told what they said.
And the owner of a Main Avenue business who doesn’t live here was also allowed to express specific opposition . She was not identified, but she evidently spoke for other business owners. Really?
And finally it is reported that some people like to park in the Grove and then walk into Asbury. But how does this observation help with the permit conundrum. It is merely another immovable fact of life that just muddies the issue even more.
The tone and purpose of this biased article was to make the permit idea seem to be hopeless. Where are quotes from Home Groaners and the Better Parking Alliance? It’s enough to make a tax paying Grovarian resident throw in the towel or merely throw up.
Here’s a solution—- apply for a handicap space. Tell your doctor that your tax increase, the parking mess and other controversies make you sick to your stomach.
And oh, Blogfinger conducted a poll about permit parking two years ago for residents, and the numbers for and against were pretty close. But this post today is about fair reporting by our local newspaper.
Our conclusion: Try for a simple permit plan for residents for June, July , and August . Other groups will have to fend for themselves: tourists, businesses, CMA, and Asburians.
And consider ways to deal with the math: During those months, there are more cars in town than there are spaces. Learn from towns like Bradley Beach which have no mega-events.
RAY CHARLES: