A lovely event was held on Saturday, September 22, 2018 on Ocean Avenue at Main and Heck. This single family house is doing just fine without being divided into condominiums. All that is required are owners who care about the town. Such owners could have been found for the Aurora. Blogfinger photo.
In August, Blogfinger questioned the decision by the Board of Adjustment to allow the single family zoned Aurora to be turned into a 4 condominium building.
Here is a link to that post:
In that article, we asked, “Why didn’t this Board insist on the single family zoning that was present when the owner bought the property? Do you think any promises were made to that owner, and who might have made those promises?” Zoning is supposed to protect the town and its citizens.
We know that the previous owner had trouble selling the property, presumably because of the single family zoning, but he bought it that way and lived with it that way, and this historically important building should have been left with its original zoning.
Some might argue that it is unfair to require that this old hotel be continued with single family zoning, because they say, “What can you do with such a big single family home?”
But you can visit any Jersey Shore town, including Ocean Grove, and find very large single family homes.
For example, on Ocean Avenue in OG are such buildings. Our photo shows a beautiful single family home which was happily occupied by 2 people before it was acquired by the current owners who left the zoning alone. You can see that it is often rented out for events, and none of its history has been compromised. It is located on Ocean Avenue, lovingly straddling Main Avenue and Heck Avenue, for all visitors and residents to enjoy.
Will you be able to say the same thing about the new Aurora?
–Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
JIMMY BUFFETT:
Tom C.,
Not so. The lot can only be divided into 2 lots, and the end result should be the Court
telling the Township to obey the Law.
Tom C.: At this time, the only options are 4 condos in the one existing Aurora building or a single family house. The owner wants the former.
4 separate houses on that lot is just conversation. No one has suggested that option. To begin with, that historic building would have to be demolished, and we have not (yet) heard the D word in regard to the Aurora.
And, you couldn’t build the 4 houses unless that lot were subdivided, and that is not on the table given the size issues that Kevin is discussing.—-Paul
Mr. Costantino, I am opposed to both:
First, the single family house does not sit on four 30×60 foot lots. All four are undersized OG lots.
Second, an OGCMA lot size can not be used for the definition for a legal lot size for the Township. In other words, the Board of Adjustment granted a use variance without using a legal definition.
Third, the Board could not legally address the parking requirement because Neptune’s zoning for OG is in violation of State law and in contempt of a court order.
All OG residents should be concerned that Neptune is not following the law when it comes to its zoning.
The building is large and sits on a lot equivalent to 4 standed size OG lots. In this case, 4 condos doesn’t seem “worse” than 4 single homes.
Is it the end result that is disliked or the process to get there or both?
Kevin,
Township records show that your complaint to the court is 100% correct.
As we all know, several years ago, the Township filed an application with the State that if approved would have permitted the Board to disregard the required 8 off street parking spaces.
The Township’s application was dismissed.
The “single owner” is an estate in Florida and it is operated as an Airbnb and event location.
Editor’s note: So what? It’s still much better than 4 condominiums on that site. And nowhere in our article is the term “single owner” found.
A challenge has been filed under MON-L-3180-18 in the Superior Court of New Jersey Law Division, Monmouth County, on the inappropriate granting of a use variance of a single family use on a nonconforming single family lot without requiring the state mandated eight parking spaces.
The Aurora should not be chopped into condos.