Condolandia at the OG North End (As seen from Surf Ave.) Blogfinger photo. March, 2015.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor , Blogfinger.net. 2015
For years the North End of Ocean Grove remained undeveloped by the OG Camp Meeting Association, the owners of the property. The land there was zoned for single family homes, and that seemed to be appropriate considering the Master Plan’s sympathetic attitude regarding the historic district.
In 2007, the Neptune Township Planning Board agreed that the Township should establish a “zone in need of redevelopment” at the North End, but they did not argue for a change in zoning. The Township then ordered a redevelopment plan to be drawn up.
It was the Township Committee which decided that the existing zoning should be changed to accommodate the new North End Redevelopment Plan (NERP) which would permit multiple uses for those 5+ acres including condominiums, single family homes, a hotel, commercial components and an underground parking garage.
Overriding the existing single family zoning was allowed under state law* when a “zone in need of redevelopment” has been declared. The goal of such zones is to bring back portions of New Jersey cities and towns which were considered to be so blighted that only government could restore those areas for the good of the city/town.
What did the Neptune Township Planning Board find that would justify the new designation? If you read the NERP plan, you will see a tortuous explanation to justify the new zone as something good for the town, with advantages outweighing disadvantages.
Whatever the rationalizations were, they led to a plan (NERP) that was turned into Neptune law in 2008 and which was supported by the Ocean Grove Home Owners Association, the Historic Preservation Commission and the Camp Meeting Association.
Once that happened, it was supposed to set in motion a sequence of events beginning with the formal choice of a redeveloper by the governing body (Neptune Committee.) That redeveloper was to sign a contract which detailed his obligations. We don’t know if such a contract actually exists.
We know that the redevelopers were chosen, not by the Township, but by the CMA who owns the property. The redevelopers who were named in 2008 consisted of the CMA itself and a group called “WAVE.” The Gannon company has been revealed as part of WAVE, but no other names have been disclosed.
We plan to post a series of articles on how this plan evolved, and the next one will be a review of what happened when the Township approved the redevelopers at a Committee meeting in June, 2008.
Our purpose is to inform the citizens of Ocean Grove as to what happened to bring us to 2015 and to figure out exactly where we stand now.
And then maybe some way can be found to block the commercialization of the North End.
We will also take a look at the Master Plan to see how it compares to the NERP.
By way of introduction, here is a quote from the Neptune Township Master Plan of 2011 regarding Ocean Grove–the “historic district:”
Goal: “To preserve the historic character, livability and property values of historic structures and neighborhoods by maintaining and rehabilitating historic housing, preventing the deterioration and demolition of historic structures, and encouraging new construction that is compatible in scale and design to the physical character of the surrounding neighborhood.”
* HillWallak.com notes on NJ redevelopment law: “As part of the plan, the municipality has the power to enact a redevelopment ordinance which can override the existing zoning for the area.”
KATHY BRIER. This song is dedicated to the OG Home Groaners Association that wanted the NERP in 2008, and now they say otherwise. What a shame they didn’t have the courage to oppose this plan when they had a chance to mobilize the citizens of OG and stand strong.
From Boardwalk Empire, HBO hit series. Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks won a Grammy for the soundtrack.
Hey Jack: Mary Beth Jahn knew the people of O.G. would go crazy if she went with the others and she knew that the Committee didn’t need her vote; who ya kidding?
Oh My: You’re right!
Any commercial enterprise in the North End would suffer from a lack of access and designated parking. Even a 4 star restaurant would die from a lack of patronage. No one is going to drive to a destination then spend up to an hour cruising around one way streets looking for a parking spot or worse, feed the meters in Asbury.
Thank you Mary Beth. Please keep looking out for us here in OG.
The North End Redevelopment Zone got started in 2006 when Township Planners determined that, “the Lake Ave Walkway” was “an existing roadway, which is overgrown with vegetation”.
What a surprise! Unfortunately, the Township was not able to make the necessary repairs because the residents of Ocean Grove were not paying enough taxes.
A way to help Ocean Grove residents to start paying their fair share of taxes would be to rezone the vacant block (1) from single family to High-Density.
This would benefit the OG community by generating more tax ratables for Neptune and the street could be repaired.
The only member of the Township Committee to vote against this nonsense was Mary Beth Jahn, and the local Democrats have been trying to dump her ever since.
The Ocean Grove residents that care about their town should thank Mary Beth Jahn for all her efforts and I would like to thank Blogfinger for keeping us informed on this scheme.
Realize it won’t happen but wouldn’t it be wild to have a Ihop or Denny’s Restaurant at the North End of the Grove. It is a poor location in the off season for any restaurant of that magnitude, just a thought. It will be making a fine parking facility with the two above ground levels and look forward to using it especially in the middle of the summer. It’s so hard to find a spot sometimes so I just drop the kids off and meet them on the beach. Love the Grove.
Of course, the Township and the Camp Meeting Association would be in favor of multi-use facilities on the North End: condos, one-family houses, commercial retailers, hotel, and underground parking (LOL).
Why? Answer: $$$$$
The Township collects taxes on all. A wide range. With an ocean view.
The Camp Meeting Association collects expanding annual ground rentals established based on the building cost, with annual increases over many years until it reaches a level where the annual cost of living index sets the required
ground rental. You are talking big $$$$$.
Irene and Sandy – Those names alone should make any large scale plans created in 2008 void. I believe it’s now part of the flood zone. There needs to be a whole new approach for the North End redevelopment.
1. Open, breezy park-like spaces near the sea;
2. More than enought traffic access;
3. More than enough parking.
Not on a private developer’s radar. Take a ride to Long Branch’s Ocean Development Project, and see how easy and pleasant a trip you had, and report back. We cannot make the typical New Jersey oceanfront development mistakes.
A fly on a visitor’s wall hears:
“Where do you go?”
“We like Ocean Grove. Travel and parking is great. Stores and restaurants are the best, but it still has that quaint, small-town feel. And there is lot’s of elbow room by the ocean.”