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Archive for the ‘Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan’ Category

The Mayor’s negotiating team for the North End Redevelopment: Part III—where is it going in 2018?

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on September 19, 2018| 7 Comments »

Vigilance is needed to protect Ocean Grove’s North End. Paul Goldfinger photo

 

SONY DSC

This painting of the Aurora by Jack Bredin shows the relative size of the Ocean Grove North End “parcel” which is partially revealed as the tan area bordering the boardwalk and Lake Avenue.

 

By Jack Bredin, reporter/researcher @Blogfinger and Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor.

In parts I and II  you saw how the North End Redevelopment process began in 2008 with the (public) North End Redevelopment Plan (NERP) and then went 10 years without any real progress.  The Mayor’s negotiation team was appointed in 2008 and has had some personnel changes since then.  It still exists to this day and so far has accomplished nothing.

In 2011, WAVE and the OGCMA came up with a new private plan, but it was submitted to the Township, and no action was taken.

In 2013 the CMA was supposed to break-ground  with their new private plan, but that never happened due to Sandy.  No  plans were ever filed or permits issued.

Then in 2015, Committeeman Randy Bishop publicly  introduced the 2011 plan for the first time,but the Township Committee took no action.s

The only plan which was ever approved by law in Neptune Township was the North End Revelopment Plan of 2008 which is still in effect to this date.

Nothing further happened, at least as far as the public was concerned, until 2018.

In April, 2018, Michael Badger, President of the OGCMA, announced  by press release, that they had signed an agreement with a new developer called OGNED—-Ocean Grove North End Development,LLC.  We posted that information (see link below)

In June, Blogfinger posted a piece about the sloppiness of language used in discussing these latest issues:

North End: sloppy ideas and language June 25 , 2018.

This month we learned the  identity of OGNED and find that it is probably a reincarnation of WAVE. The information below came from the Clerk’s Office in Neptune Township.

“The Stockholder Disclosure Certification submitted by OG North End Development, LLC shows the stockholders who hold 10% or more of the issued and outstanding stock:”

William P. Gannon II

Paul R. Gannon

Joel S. Brudner

Christopher T. McCallion”

The certificate also revealed their addresses, which we did not include here.

 

Recently we also learned the identity of the Mayor’s negotiation team:

According to the Township Clerk, “The Redevelopment Committee” consists of Dr. Michael Brantley, Mayor Nicholas Williams, Land Use Administrator, Township Engineer, Business Administrator, Chief Financial Officer, Township Planner and Redevelopment Attorney.    Brantley has remained on this committee for the last 10 years.

The Clerk also informed us that “the Redevelopment  Attorney is Maraziti Falcon, LLP  at 150 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Short Hills, NJ.”  This attorney is part of this negotiating team, representing the Township.

So here we are in September of 2018, and this is what we know:

a. The “options agreement” signed by the CMA and OGNED  (April, 2018) names OGNED as as the “developer of the North End land parcel.”  This agreement was signed by the CMA even though they are not a “redeveloper.”

This is a private agreement which has nothing directly to do with the public Redevelopment Plan approved by Neptune Township in 2008. It would be a violation of land use law for the Township to change the NERP for this private plan without lawful procedures.

b.  Mayor Nicolas Williams and his committee have been re-negotiating a 10 year old agreement with a “self-appointed” redeveloper  (OGNED).  The original unofficial redevelopers were the CMA and WAVE.  Mayor Williams  refuses to explain the nature of the secret negotiations.

The principals now (developers and politicians) seem to be in a heated rush to get this done ASAP after years of little or no movement. But they have stalled because the Mayor says that his team  is “not getting what we want.” 

But he won’t disclose what he wants despite public pleas at recent Committee meetings.  The lack of transparency is over-the-top.

c. If or when the Mayor signs off on this new private plan he will be certifying that this new private North End project is in the best interest of the residents of Ocean Grove, something that no prior mayor has done since 2008.

If this new Redevelopers Plan with new re-developers is to replace the 2008 NERP, the Township will have to begin the process all over again including bidding for redevelopers, a bona fide Redevelopers Agreement, certification of financial integrity, public hearings, all necessary permits including DEP, and then Committee resolutions and approvals.

After all, this was and is still a public project.  That’s how the CMA and WAVE originally got the blank check for whatever zoning they wanted in the first place. Before that NERP ordinance in 2008, the North End was zoned for single family houses.

Mayor Williams recently said that that he was given a “Pre-redevelopment Agreement,” during negotiations,  but what is that?   He says that the document has gone back and forth over “a couple of items missing on it, so they gave it back to them to work on.”

Vito Gadaleta, the Business Administrator, is on that negotiating team and he said, “The next step would be to get the documents which will be reviewed by the Redevelopment Committee and the Redevelopment Attorney.”

He also said, “If there is a comfort level, there would be a discussion about appointing a conditional redeveloper for the site while the formal development is negotiated.”

This makes no sense.  New Jersey  Land Use law makes no provisions for “conditional redevelopers” or “comfort levels.”

A review of the history of all this reveals that the “formal development” is the March 24, 2008 North End Redevelopment Plan by Martin Truscott.

d.  At the last Committee meeting, Jack Bredin and Diane Harris requested that the Mayor invite the new Redevelopment Attorney to attend the next Township Committee meeting so he can explain why this Neptune Township process appears to be inconsistent with the Local Housing and Redevelopment Law.

e.  So the CMA and OGNED and the Mayor seem to think that they are on the verge of a breakthrough, but they continue to be silent about the details, and, as before, we worry about the perception of impropriety at the Municipal Building.

perception of impropriety

f.   Plan below is from Asbury Park’s Redevelopment Plan for the Wesley Lake area.

Nature abhors a vacuum, so here is one conspiracy theory:  In 2002, Asbury Park came up with a Waterfront Redevelopment Plan and Waterfront Redeveloper’s Agreement for the construction of Wesley Lake Village  (see above). The diagram shows “several smaller scale residential structures and pedestrian ways on the Asbury side.”

But if you look at the graphic, you will see the outlines of the Ocean Grove North End parcel.  Nothing else in OG is shown. This leads us to suspect that the OG North End Plan will result in the Asbury developer  (iStar) taking over the OG North End in order to pull Asbury and the Grove together near the lake. Remember, iStar has done nothing so far by way of development at the other side of the Casino.

Part II of this report.

Who is OGNED? Sept. 2018

The bottom line is to demand that the Township take down that wall and offer complete transparency to the North End public process.  Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

THE FIFTH DIMENSION:

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Who is OGNED? Posted 9/18.

Posted in Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association Activity, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on September 14, 2018| 1 Comment »

Michael Badger, CMA President, at the North End site. APP photo

 

In  a press release in April, the CMA mentioned the Ocean Grove North End Development LLC   (OGNED).   This entity was identified by the President of the OG Camp Meeting Association as the new “developer” for the “North End  oceanfront site.”  Pres. Badger put out a press release about this in April, and the link to that is:

CMA: OGNED press release

Badger said that OGNED “stepped forward with a sensible development plan.”   But he did not identify that entity.

We asked the Township Clerk to identify OGNED.   He sent us:   “The Stockholder Disclosure Certification submitted by OG North End Development, LLC which shows the stockholders who hold 10% or more of the issued and outstanding stock to be:”

William P. Gannon II

Paul R. Gannon

Joel  S. Brudner

Christopher T. McCallion

The certificate also revealed their addresses, which we did not include here.  It did not include signatures or a date.

 

For some time the identity of WAVE was requested at Committee meetings, but that information was never disclosed, so we don’t know if OGNED is the same as WAVE or not.

Since the North End Redevelopment Plan is a public project, this information should be disclosed publicly.

Badger’s press release did not mention the “negotiations” now ongoing with Neptune Township, but he did say that “more detailed planning and construction plans will be subject to township building regulations, when they are brought forward.”

 

DON AND JUAN:

 

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The Mayor’s Negotiating Team for the North End Revelopment. Part II

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Neptune Township Committee, Neptune Township controversies, Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, Ocean Grove land use and zoning, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan on September 14, 2018| 1 Comment »

Wesley Lake, looking toward the OG North End: a space where light, breezes and ocean views currently prevail. Paul Goldfinger photo © Click to enlarge.

By Jack Bredin, reporter/researcher at Blogfinger.net and Paul Goldfinger, Editor

This is the second of our three-part post about the Mayor’s Negotiating Team which currently has been in secret sessions with the Camp Meeting Association’s “developer”  which, according to Michael Badger, President of the CMA, is the  “Ocean Grove North End Development LLC (OGNED)”

We don’t know where WAVE went.

In this three-part series of posts, Blogfinger is reviewing how the process has evolved, so now we present a time-line to document what has happened over the last 10 years, beginning in 2008, with approval by resolution of the North End Redevelopment Plan (NERP)  by the Neptune Township Committee.

2011:  In June of 2011, three years after the 2008 NERP (“public plan”) was adopted, WAVE and the OGCMA prepare a “private” general development plan to replace the original NERP.

This private  plan is submitted to the Township. It is titled “North End–a Destination Resort,” and it is not a redevelopment plan. 

The Neptune Township Committee fails to share this proposal with the public. They also do not reveal the fact that getting involved with this “private” plan would require pulling the plug on the entire 2008 NERP and then starting over. The Township makes no changes to the NERP.

2012: The OGCMA announces that they are ready to break ground at the North End in early 2013, but for what plan?  And they have no permits–particularly from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  Then comes Sandy on October 29, of 2012.

2013:   The OGCMA announces after Sandy that “the developers are going back to the drawing board.”  What they fail to announce is that new elevations would be required.

2015:  The public becomes aware of a  “new private plan” when Committeeman Randy Bishop abruptly pops up at a Committee meeting and reports, “After exhausting negotiations, where everyone involved had to give something up, we have agreed to a new plan for the North End.”

But this is nonsense. He is referring basically to the private plan that was prepared four years earlier  (see 2011 above,) and the Township Committee already knew all about it.

And, by the way, what are the new  elevations?   No detailed specifications are made available. And no changes can be made to the original 2008 NERP without going back to square one.

The Ocean Grove Home Owners Association takes credit for negotiating the new private plan with the OGCMA, and maybe they did; the Township Comedy certainly did not. The only comment from the baffled Neptune Township Committee about the Bishop plan is, “This is a mistake.”

Actually, the plan is not the mistake—making it public is.

The new plan is not approved by the Township.  It just floats out of the meeting room and fizzles up into the atmosphere.

2018.   As we reported in Part I, the CMA sends out a press release in April 2018  (link below) claiming another new plan and announcing a new “developer” called OGNED. See our initial comments about that at the link (OGNED) below and then look at Part I where we also linked to it:

OGNED

In Part III, the last part of this series about the Mayor’s Negotiating Team, we will bring you up to date on this subject.

 

NOTE:  According to the Township Clerk, “The Redevelopment Committee” consists of Dr. Michael Brantley, Mayor Nicholas Williams, Land Use Administrator, Township Engineer, Business Administrator, Chief Financial Officer, Township Planner and Redevelopment Attorney.

He also informed us that “the Redevelopment Attorney is Maraziti Falcon, LLP  at 150 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Short Hills, NJ.”

 

KEVIN SPACEY   “That Old Black Magic.”       From the movie:  Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

 

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Is Neptune Township planning to dump WAVE as re-developers of the North End? Breaking news on Blogfinger.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, Ocean Grove opinions, tagged on March 14, 2018| 6 Comments »

Mayor Nicholas Williams is now involved in the train wreck called the North End plan.  Blogfinger photograph. December 2017 ©

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger and Jack Bredin, Reporter and Researcher @Blogfinger.

At the Township Committee Meeting on February 26,  2018, Committeeman Brantley said, “At our next meeting we will have some big announcements to make regarding re-development.”  Neptune has a number of areas in need of redevelopment, including the OG North End.

At the Committee meeting of March 12,  2018,  Mayor Nicholas Williams reported, “We have been showing developers around town and telling them what we should like to see developed, and they are making proposals on what they would like to build.”

Then he went on to say, “There are two developers interested in the West Lake Avenue and the North End (OG).  We have a meeting next week with WAVE and the Redevelopment Attorney.”  Will WAVE be informed that they need to “fish or cut bait?”

This reminds Blogfinger of a photograph (below,)  posted on our site,  of Committeeman Michael Brantley showing the North End property to unnamed developers on July 27, 2016.

This Blogfinger photograph of Dr. Brantley giving a tour of the North End to developers. July 27, 2016. ©

This sounds to us like the Township may be fed up with the interminable delays regarding WAVE and the North End project which has floated like flotsam in the Atlantic Ocean for nine, non-transparent years, leaving an ugly ocean front dirt lot for Grovers and visitors to admire.

During the public portion, Jack Bredin went to the microphone to say that any meetings regarding this “area in need of redevelopment” should be open to the public. He stated that there are procedures and rules spelled out in New Jersey Land Use Laws regarding such transparency.  He said that if he were the mayor, he would never be showing developers around and/or having “private discussions in the back of some limousine”  about the project because “that would give the perception of an impropriety.”

Note that the Redevelopment Attorney was not present at either the February 26 or the March 12 meetings.

It’s time  for the Committee to do what’s best for the town and break off its relationship with WAVE, even if breaking up is hard to do.  And while they are at it, it’s time to cancel the Revelopment Plan and follow the Master Plan for single family homes on that property. All New Jersey Land Use laws should be followed and all future discussions on this issue should be held in public view.

NEIL SEDAKA:

 

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Asbury Park developer has big plans.

Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, Ocean Grove opinions, Photograph by Bob Bowné, tagged , on February 14, 2018| 4 Comments »

“Ice Palace” by Bob Bowné. Asbury Park Carousel Building. January 2015. © Special to Blogfinger.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor  @Blogfinger   Re-posted from 2015.

iStar is the newest developer for the A. Park oceanfront 1 1/4 mile strip. Others have come and gone, but iStar seems to be confident in their plan to create an amazing strip of 20 mixed use projects including a 110 room hotel to be finished this summer and a new 34 unit condominium complex.

Vive condo project sold out in one day in 2013 and then repeated the feat for phase two. I love to walk by Vive; its design, colors and layout seem so inviting to me. Grovers need relief sometimes from Victorian architecture.

Asbury Park is going places with professional creative planning and above-board management.  What a difference when compared to the wannabe North End project in the Grove.

Undoubtedly those Ocean Grove developers want to hitch their wagon to an iStar and create Asbury Park, Jr. at the OG North End.  But they are so proud of their plan that they are hiding under their beds while waiting for the shenanigans to slither through.  Don’t hold your breath for the names behind WAVE to be revealed. They seem to be  ashamed of their project—it’s been dormant since 2008, and an ugly site remains.

TONY BENNETT AND THE RALPH SHARON ORCHESTRA AT CARNEGIE HALL  (1962)

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Gibberish presented at the HOA meeting regarding the North End project.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on February 12, 2018| 14 Comments »

images1-1

This is Tillie, the poster boy for funny business in Asbury Park. But who will be responsible for funny business on the OG side of the divide ?

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger.net  and Jack Bredin, Blogfinger reporter/researcher.

We have received a detailed Coaster report regarding the HOA meeting of Feb. 1. During that meeting there was information presented by President Michael Badger of the OG Camp Meeting Association regarding the North End project which suggested that great progress was being made. The Coaster headline described the presentation as “an update.”

However, Badger offered misinformation which went unchallenged at the meeting. Evidently, he has a fundamental misunderstanding of the redevelopment process as defined by NJ Land Use Law.

The North End Redevelopment plan is supposed to be a public project under the supervision of the Township Committee, but the two Committeemen present, Carol Rizzo and Robert Lane, had nothing to say during the presentation.

Instead the CMA seemed to be usurping their authority.   And why was this presentation being made at the Home Owners Association meeting instead of in a public forum at a public venue with the discussion lead by the Township?

Badger said that “the North End developers and the CMA have been in protracted discussions and hope for a final signed contract within 30 days or shortly thereafter.”

But, in all the years we have been following this mess, no one has ever used the term “North End developers.”  Badger should have defined this term. You may recall that this is a “redevelopment” project and not a “general development” project—an important distinction having to do with local government involvement.

The 2008 zoning for the North End was established by the Neptune Township decision to make that property into a “zone in need of redevelopment.” So any subsequent negotiations and contract talks should be led by the Township.

Of course, private negotiations, such as regarding ground rents, would occur privately between the CMA and WAVE (the presumed redevelopers) but such agreements do not move the ball forward as far as the public’s interests.

So, until these private issues are resolved and until the process finally culminates in a Redevelopers Agreement, signed by the Township and the Redevelopers (whoever they will be,) there can be no developers officially involved in the project.

The only project plan that was ever approved by Neptune is the original NERP from 2008. There was talk of a changed plan (with reduced density) in 2011, championed by the HOA and publicly announced by Committeeman R. Bishop in 2015 , but that 2011 “scaled down” plan mentioned now by Mr. Badger, as if it were the current plan for 2018, was never confirmed by the Township.

Any change in the density of the original North End Redevelopment Plan “shall require notice and public hearings in a manner similar to the adoption of the original plan.”

And, Mr. Badger said, “some of the permits* are still not completed.” But that implies that some are completed, and, without a re-developers agreement, no permits should have been granted.

This project seems to be no further ahead than it was in the past, and the Feb 1 presentation merely served to muddy the waters even more.

 

* For more details about permits, see the comments below.

 

LEON REDBONE   (Is anyone home at the CMA, HOA, or the Neptune Township Committee?)

 

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Do the right thing: Time to kill the dormant North End Redevelopment Plan.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on December 14, 2017| 4 Comments »

The North End along its northern edge near Wesley Lake. Blogfinger photo © 2015.

Condolandia (North End) as seen from Surf Avenue in 2015. Blogfinger photo ©

By Paul Goldfinger,MD    Editor @Blogfinger.net

For the last ten years, the North End Redevelopment Plan (NERP)  has been kept under wraps for obscure reasons.  Instead of moving ahead with something that would be good for the town of Ocean Grove and for this region of the Jersey Shore, that large dirt zone has been allowed to fester by the Neptune Township Committee.

Why do you suppose the Committee would stick with a flawed and failed project?   Whose side are they on—the developers or the community of Ocean Grove.?   Since this plan was approved, no re-developer has ever been chosen. There is no re-developer’s agreement.

When that plan was conceived, it was said to be immediately necessary to bring that property to life. It was called an “area in need of redevelopment.” For some reason, the Township decided that the property owner, the Camp Meeting Association, was incapable of developing that valuable piece of land on their own.   They said that local government must take over.

The Township Committee ruled that the zoning had to be changed from 25 single family homes to a major commercial enterprise with 165 residential units—mostly condos, plus a hotel, stores, and an underground garage.

Was anyone fooled by that nonsense?  Even a blind man could see through it. Did we really need to turn the OG North End into Asbury Park South?  Was that going to save the town?   Or was that going to save Neptune Township?

The misguided concept was approved despite the Planning Board’s Master Plan for the “historic district.”

Everyone knew that it was just trickery to allow developers to make a ton of money once the zoning change had been allowed.  What is the motive for the Township to turn its back on its citizens?  Is it only about ratables?   Are there other variables such as special treatment for certain OG investors or for CMA trustees?  It’s ironic, but many of those 25 properties were originally earmarked for CMA religious leaders.

This is what the NJ Land Use Law said back then about redevelopment projects:   “Historically, redevelopment was primarily envisioned for totally deteriorated, blighted urban ghettos.”

 

For the last ten years,  our elected officials have allowed the NERP  to fester while developers figured out what to do, and there still are no answers and no progress.  The only one who spoke out in support of the people was Mary Beth Jahn, former Committeewoman, who was forced out by her own party.

 

On  January 1, 2018, a new administration will be sworn in, including a new mayor.   It would seem like an opportune time to do something which should have been done years ago:  They should  nullify the NERP and restore the original zoning.

Then maybe the CMA will start construction on those 25 homes—something which should have been  accomplished a long time ago.  By now we could have had a  beautiful residential area at the North End, with off-street parking.

Below are some notes about redevelopment plans per the New Jersey Land Use Laws:

a.   ” No permit for the erection of any building or structure shall be issued unless the lot abuts a street giving access to such proposed building or structure.

b.   “A delineated area may be determined to be in need of rehabilitation if the governing body of the municipality determines by resolution that there exist in that area certain conditions   (pick one)  such that:

“The owner cannot be found; unpaid fines and taxes exist; code violations cannot be rectified;

 

“—-or land that is owned by the municipality, or unimproved vacant land that has remained so for a period of ten years and that by reason of its location, remoteness, lack of means of access to developed sections or portions of the municipality or topography, or nature of the soil, is not likely to be developed through the instrumentality of private capital.”     Source Hill Wallack, LLP

The truth is that the special designation of “area in need of  redevelopment” should never have been granted by the Neptune Township Committee in 2007.

There was no reason to think that the CMA could not have brought their property to life without government help under the original zoning.

Here are two links that address public opinion on this matter:

2015 poll

Trusting the Township Committee 2016 BF opinion poll

THE TOKENS.  In this song, the lion is a metaphor for the citizens of Ocean Grove.

 

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Just wondering: What does the OGCMA have up its sleeve? What about the North End flood zone?

Posted in Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, Ocean Grove opinions, tagged on August 3, 2017| 1 Comment »

September in the rain. The beautiful Founders Park,on polluted Wesley Lake,  is near the North End zone. The OGHOA had proposed new parking at lakeside. Citizens must be vigilant! Paul Goldfinger photo in Ocean Grove ©

From Alberttrotter    (aka “Albert 4-T’s”)

“When it comes to the OGCMA, who knows what they have up their sleeve?  With new flood maps, WAVELAND (i.e. the North End Redevelopment site) is in a flood zone, and they are still trying to justify having that built.”

EDITOR’S NOTE—— Albert Four T’s:   The North End Redevelopment Plan (NERP) remains under wraps by WAVE (supposedly the developer along with the CMA.)

The Township Committee, which is in charge of the Redevelopment Zone, has yet to reveal the identities of WAVE  investors, despite longstanding promises to do so.

We are skeptical that most of the Committee knows anything about this subject. Who are the string pullers? We have suspicions, but the CMA is definitely involved.

In the past, the township Clerk told us that all approvals for the project, including environmental, have been obtained but we do not believe that it is so.

Keep your eyes on certain components including the fate of Wesley Lake, the planned North End hotel, the planned underground garage, and the precise number of condominiums.   —-Paul Goldfinger, Editor

ANNIE LENNOX

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Neptune Township attorney makes North End announcement, but is it all legal, or just more funny business?

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove controversies, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on May 26, 2017| 13 Comments »

By Sue Gioulis, Blogfinger staff based on a BF photograph from July, 2016.

By Jack Bredin, researcher and reporter @Blogfinger and Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

At the Township Committee meeting of May 22, 2017, the Township Attorney Gene Anthony finally stopped making excuses for the stalled North End project with an announcement saying, “Mr. Gannon has an agreement with the new redeveloper and WAVE.”

William Gannon III is the spokesman, the leader, and the lawyer for WAVE, the mysterious group behind the North End Redevelopment Project (NERP) which has been languishing since 2008.

Jack Bredin went to the microphone to ask Anthony, “How can WAVE select a new redeveloper? You become a redeveloper when you sign a Redeveloper’s Agreement with the Township, and WAVE has never signed its own contract with Neptune Township.”

Anthony replied, “That may be true, but the Township Committee designated WAVE as a redeveloper.” 

Yikes, talk about evading a question!

Let’s take a look at some background information regarding the term “redeveloper” as it pertains to the North End project. And let’s also pay close attention to the words “Committee,” “WAVE,” “Association” (i.e. OGCMA,) “Redeveloper’s Agreement,” and “developer.” And let’s look for misuse of the English language that would distract from the truth.

On June 9, 2008, the Township Committee adopted Resolution #292 designating Wesley Atlantic Village Enterprises LLC (WAVE) and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA or Association) as Co-Redevelopers of the NERP.

Resolution # 292 said “Whereas the Association conducted an extensive process to seek and interview potential developers for the property, and….

“Whereas, the Association selected Wesley Atlantic Village Enterprises, LLC as the developer of the property.”   (Note that the word “redeveloper” is not used in these two quotes)*

We believe that illegal procedures were used to get this project going in a direction that suited the developers and not the people of Ocean Grove.

To begin with, the selection process should have been conducted by the Township, not the Association, including advertising a request for proposals followed by a public bidding process as required by law.

The Township Committee allowed the Association to usurp the Committee’s legal authority to select a redeveloper. In a redevelopment project, the Township is in charge and should be the entity that selects a redeveloper.

In addition, the resolution confuses the issue (? intentionally) by twice referring to “developers” instead of “redevelopers.”   These words are not synonymous.

So, from the beginning, the whole process has been tainted, and now, at the May 22, 2017 meeting, it was reported that the Committee is currently permitting WAVE to do the same thing, i.e. to usurp its authority to select a redeveloper. In other words, the first illegal redeveloper is now choosing another illegal redeveloper. And the Committee, the citizens’ elected representative, remains silent on this shell game.

It also must be noted that no entity can be officially named as “Redeveloper” without signing a Redevelopers Agreement, and neither WAVE, the Association, or the new kid on the block (currently not identified by Anthony) have ever signed such a contract with the Township.

When will our elected officials take the side of the citizens, follow the laws, and favor the Master Plan as they deal with North End redevelopment ?

So here’s a metaphor.  Consider that the Town Committee are a bunch of teddy bears having a grand old time at their regular picnic, aka the Committee meetings. They love to dance and prance and act innocent, but they are blind to the forest rangers who are watching them very carefully.

ANNE MURRAY

 

 

 

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Signs of life at the North End, but secrecy still prevails.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove controversies, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged , on April 25, 2017| 7 Comments »

The North End on the occasion of the NERP’s ninth anniversary. Blogfinger photo 10/16. ©  Click to enlarge.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor and Jack Bredin, Researcher.

At the April 24, 2017 Committee meeting, Jack Bredin went to the microphone to ask about the recent Coaster ad seeking a redevelopment attorney for Neptune Township. He found out that the ad was placed by the Committee without a formal resolution to back it up.  This is not a position which is part of the usual Township line-up of employees and consultants.  The Township already employs very knowledgeable attorneys for the Planning Board and the Township who are currently on the payroll.

But evidently the Committee needs a  lawyer who has a bigger tow truck to pull the NERP (North End Redevelopment Plan) out of the haze, smoke and mud it’s been stuck in for years.

Hiring for such a position, which undoubtedly will be costly for the Township, should be justified in a resolution, but Jack was told that no resolution was required. The Committee said, “We don’t need one.”

You might recall that the original NERP from 2008 was still in effect. It consists of 165 residential units (mostly condominiums,) an underground garage, and a hotel.  Many are skeptical regarding the latter two components.  You might also recall that no formal engineering plans have ever been submitted to estimate  the costs and to explain the engineering challenges of the whole project, especially the garage and the pilings.

WAVE and the CMA are still listed as the redevelopers, although the CMA has said that it no longer wanted that job.  WAVE has been promising to present its financing arrangements and to identify its investing partners, but that hasn’t occurred so far either.  A redevelopment plan cannot go forward without those financial details.  Also no formal re-developers agreement has ever been signed.

In January a newly enlarged redevelopment committee was announced which will not only deal with the OG North End, but with other redevelopment projects around town. No one from Ocean Grove is on that line-up.  How about some affirmative action for the Grovers?

It would appear that the new lawyer will have a lot of  ‘splaining to do.

THE OINKER SISTERS:  The current NERP has been a dead duck for some time… or is it a pig?   Well, it’s time for a new way to walk at the North End.  (song by Joe Raposo on Sesame Street)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fine evening ocean views at the North End: Can we keep it?

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, Ocean Grove photo news, Photography at The Jersey Shore, Photography Nights in Ocean Grove, Photography nocturnal Asbury Park, tagged , , , on December 10, 2016| Leave a Comment »

The Casino and the White Whale: works in progress. Is that good? Paul Goldfinger © 2016.

The Casino and the White Whale: works in progress. Is that good? Click to enlarge. Paul Goldfinger © 2016.

IL DIVO AND KRISTIN CHENOWETH

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Who renamed Wesley Lake and why? It’s the “Name Blame Game,” and Ocean Grove activist Jack Bredin seeks answers at the Township Committee. Did they respond?

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove controversies, Ocean Grove environmental concerns, Ocean Grove feature article, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on December 3, 2016| Leave a Comment »

Wesley Lake 2009 . Ocean Grove, NJ. Paul Goldfinger photo ©.

Wesley Lake 2009 . Ocean Grove, NJ. Paul Goldfinger photo ©.

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger and Jack Bredin, Blogfinger researcher and reporter.

In recent posts, Blogfinger acquainted our readers with the renaming of Wesley Lake into the “Wesley Detention/Retention Basin.” We alerted our readers to the change in Wesley Lake from public open space land to a water retention basin on the Tax Map.   Jack Bredin, Blogfinger researcher, has reviewed this issue and he has used the Neptune Township Master Plan (2011)  and the latest Tax Map as his main sources.  

Today’s post focuses on the “Name Blame Game” and tries to  get some answers.

Our emphasis is on Wesley Lake, but the same thing happened on the Neptune Township Tax Map for Fletcher Lake which also has a  new name: “Fletcher Detention/Retention Basin.”

The link below is to our latest post  (Nov 13, 2016) on the subject of “What’s in a Name?”:

WHO KILLED WESLEY LAKE? Part 2:   What’s in a name?

We pointed out that the Neptune Master Plan supports the idea of keeping our lakes clean. It says, “Encourage the reduction of runoff into surface water bodies.” We think that the name change was done to save money for developers in Asbury Park and Ocean Grove.

This name change would not be permitted by the DEP or the Green Acres program.

In addition, Wesley Lake and Fletcher Lake are on the Township’s ROSI list (Recreational and Open Space Inventory) where the Township is committed to hold these lands reserved for recreation and conservation “in perpetuity” in exchange for Green Acres funds. 

But instead, the Township seems to be committed to dumping even more dirty water into Wesley Lake and using the Lake as a municipal facility.

Our prior posts also contained email exchanges with Tee Lesinski, a member of the Wesley Lake Commission, who said, “The Commission had nothing to do with the name change, and Wesley Lake is not a retention basin.”

Despite our publicizing this issue, no one from Neptune Township has explained to the citizens of Ocean Grove who is responsible for the name change and what is the true reason for it. We believe that the Neptune Township Committee has to accept responsibility for the name change because they have the exclusive authority over the Tax Map. Only they could order the change.

At the last Township Committee meeting on November 28, 2016, Jack Bredin once again waited patiently for the public portion and then he went to the microphone to publicly ask the 5 man/woman Committee about this name change situation.  What he said was recorded and will appear in the Committee’s minutes, although it might take quite a while.

 

Here is a summary of what Jack crammed into 5 minutes:

—– He reminded them of their environmental obligations under the State Land Use Law and their own Master Plan. They are supposed to reduce dirty street water runoff into our lakes, not increase the runoff according to the Tax Map renaming Wesley Lake. 

Jack also reviewed the ROSI statement and the Green Acres obligations for protecting all places on the list for recreation and conservation. A ROSI statement is required to be signed by the Mayor and the Chairman of the Planning Board and is attached to each application for Green Acre funding.

—–This obligation is confirmed by the Neptune Township Planning Board Chairman and the Neptune Township Mayor when they signed off on the 2011 Master Plan.
—–Jack asked who will take responsibility for the name change on the Tax Map?
—–He asked who will publicly explain why the name change was done?
—–He pointed out that all Township maps (eg zoning and Wesley Lake Commission) must contain the same name change as is present on the Tax Map. These maps must be consistent with the Tax Map, but they are not.

—–And he wanted to know why there is no formal resolution available to authorize the name change. Without a “Resolution” there are no “Reasons” to change the name of Wesley or Fletcher Lake.

 

In response to Jack’s comments, no one on the Committee or the Township Attorney was willing to answer the questions.

Jack’s inquiry was met with silence.

 

Those of you who support the current Township Committee have got to wonder about such issues as transparency, following the law, representative government, caring for the environment, and favoritism for developers. The “Name Blame Game” is a perfect touchstone for illustrating those concerns.

 

MATT CAVENAUGH.  “Something’s Coming”  from West Side Story 2009 Broadway cast album.

 

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Homeowners Association gets it wrong again: There is no new North End Plan, and Jack Bredin challenges the OGHOA at their last public meeting.

Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove news, Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment Plan, tagged on November 30, 2016| 5 Comments »

This photo of the North End is from our Oc tobver 30, 2016 post which said, "Nofrth End Plan celebrates its ninth anniversary of...broken promises. Blogfinger photo ©

This photo of the North End is from our October 30, 2016 post titled, “North End Plan celebrates its ninth anniversary of…broken promises.”   Blogfinger photo ©

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger

In the October 30, 2016  BF article we said,  “Isn’t it time to bring in a new North End plan? This one is a losing proposition and should be replaced by something that will improve the town, not the developers and politicians. Where are the Home Groaners??”

We have made it crystal clear in multiple past articles that the only official North End Redevelopment Plan was passed by the Township Committee in 2008, and since then no changes have been made. Only the Township Committee can make changes and if they wanted to do so they would have to start the whole process over again including public hearings, redeveloper bidding, etc.  And note that the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is still part of the plan as the land owner. WAVE is still  the redeveloper, and the identities of the people involved in WAVE have yet to be made public.

And finally no Redevelopers Agreement has been signed between WAVE and the Neptune Township Committee.

Regarding the so-called “New NERP,” below is a link to our last post regarding this subject.  It shows a concept drawing illustrating a sharp reduction in residential units.   Nothing has changed since this April 28, 2015 Blogfinger article.

Neptune Township Announces a New North End Plan

On November 26, 2016, at the latest OG Homeowners Assoc. meeting, one of the topics discussed was the North End redevelopment. Since the President was not present, the meeting was presided over by Vice President Richard Williams.

According to our reporter, Williams stated that he hoped the North End would “rise up and be re-developed.” Williams asserted that there was “a new plan which would cut the density in half.”

But he seriously misinformed the membership in a very public way.  He evidently didn’t know that  the “new plan”  lies dead and dormant  and thus is totally useless.

Certainly the Township Attorney, Gene Anthony, has never agreed that such a new plan has ever been legally approved, even though ex-Committeeman Randy Bishop spoke publicly about it in 2015,  as did HOA officials who have bragged in the past that they made the new plan happen.

At last Saturday’s meeting, during the public comment portion, Grover Jack Bredin brought out the truth that “the new plan was never approved by the Township.” He also reminded the HOA that the NERP is a public project, so there is no rationale for the HOA to make their case to the Camp Meeting Association.

He also responded to complaints by members at the meeting   that if they were worried about trash, weeds, sloppy fencing, or any other messes at the North End, that would be the Township’s job to correct, not the CMA.

It really would be a wonderful service if the Home Groaners actually told the truth to the public.  The HOA trustees should slow down, go out for coffee, and get their facts straight.

DAVID LOUD  and the cast of 70, Girls, 70.

 

 

 

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