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Archive for the ‘Ocean Grove parking problems’ Category
Homeowners Assoc. will continue applying pressure for permit parking.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Joyce Klein, Ocean Grove permit parking on August 27, 2017| Leave a Comment »
Meg Baker (CBS News) interviews Joyce Klein* ( foreground) on Jersey Joyce’s porch in Ocean Grove. Overhead is the Bronx Botanical Garden. 5/26/16. © Paul Goldfinger photo.
The letter below is from Joyce Klein, Chair of the HOA Parking Committee. She is reporting on an HOA breakfast meeting which was held on Saturday, August 26, 2017.
“To all of you who have made your voices heard about the parking issues in OG at the Township Committee meetings so far–THANK YOU!
“I think that we are making progress. As Committeeman Rob Lane said this morning at the HOA breakfast, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease…..” We need to continue to be the squeaky wheel when it comes to parking. The Camp Meeting’s statement at the last meeting opposing permits and threatening an unspecified law suit can not be met with silence. We need to make it clear to the Township Committee that they should not be cowed by the threat of a frivolous law suit, but should instead implement a pilot permit parking program to see if it works. My prediction is that it will help and will not cause the horrors suggested by the CMA and other naysayers.
“I am hopeful that the Township Committee will see fit to have further discussions of permits and perhaps other parking solutions in the coming weeks.
“So, if you can make it, please try to come to the meeting and speak up for permit parking on Monday night. Feel free to bring your friends and neighbors. For better or worse, we are not a community of spring chickens, so if you can, or you know someone with mobility or health conditions that make walking a distance from one’s car to one’s home difficult, it would be helpful for the Township Committee to hear from those people.
“As always, if you would like me to text you when it is time for the public comment period, let me know and I will do so.
“Thanks again.
“Joyce”
Editor’s note @Blogfinger. The Neptune Township Committee meeting will be held on Monday, August 28, at 7 pm, Municipal Building. If you have any spring chickens, bring them along, but no chicken fat please. —–PG
*Joyce Klein interview with CBS News
JOHN PIZZARELLI from South Pacific:
OGHOA all over the map on parking. Rewriting history=fake news. Now they want to take credit for permit parking.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove news, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Permit parking in Ocean Grove on August 13, 2017| 1 Comment »
Blogfinger supports resident permit parking, but it has to be done right. © BF flier. July 2017.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
February 2017 HOA minutes: “Parking Committee: Joyce reported that at the regular meeting of the Neptune Township Committee scheduled for Monday, February 27, a resolution to adopt the Township Committee’s parking recommendations would be proposed. The recommendations include: 1. Angle parking on one side of Main Street and one side of Central Avenue and 2. Enforcement of the existing commercial parking regulations.”
No mention of permit parking.
April HOA minutes: “Parking report: Joyce Klein reported that the Neptune Council will have a second and final reading of the ordinance allowing for the potential addition of about 18 angle parking spots.”
No mention of permit parking.
May HOA minutes: “Parking: Richard Williams reported that the striping on Central Avenue is being done; striping at the west end of Main Avenue is yet to be done.”
No mention of permit parking
June HOA minutes : “Joyce Klein provided an update on parking. Angle parking has been put in place on Central and Main Avenues, resulting in a net gain of 18 parking spots. The OGHOA parking committee will resume its efforts to bring about substantive changes to improve the parking situation in Ocean Grove.”
No mention of permit parking
July: no minutes See link below.
July 8. Blogfinger poll asked if Grovers would support permit parking. 330 votes were cast. 58% said yes, but we suspected that the no votes were inflated. And it’s hard to vote when the plan details have not been revealed by the Home Groaners. So some skeptics voted no, but if a good plan were conceived, we believe that they will vote “yes.”
July 11: Blogfinger article: permit parking post by BF 7/11
July 21: Blogfinger post on this subject: BF July article about parking fake news
August 12, 2017 Email from Joyce Klein of the HOA: “I know many have been attending the Township Committee meetings to speak out about the need for permit parking. We have been effective in keeping the topic front and center and I am hopeful that we will see some action* on parking in the near future.”
(Editor’s note: “some action* on parking.” Talk about evasive use of language and fake news. The lack of transparency is evident. The Groaners need to be replaced!)
The HOA brought up the subject of permit parking last year (2016), but when the Committee ignored them, they folded like a cheap camera and jumped on board for the 18 diagonal parking space solution. There was no further mention of permit parking until recently when they say that they have been “keeping the topic front and center.” More fake news.
At the last Committee meeting the OG Home Groaners Ass. persuaded some Grovers to speak out during the public session, but the HGA never explained to the public what their permit parking plan will be. Now again, they want the public to make noise at the Committee meeting coming up tomorrow, July 14.
But why should anyone be enthused about the Groaners’ current efforts when they have never made public their secret plan for permit parking? We know it exists, because we saw it, and the reason they don’t reveal it is because they don’t want any push-back from the citizens. The OG Home Groaners are like a secret society with its own agendas and they will even try to change history and spread fake news as you can see above.
Meanwhile, Blogfinger posted 10 articles in the last two months, mostly to push for permit parking. Just type in “permit parking” in the search block above. 2 of them are linked above.
Here’s an idea: A Grover told me about the resident permit parking plan in Hoboken which works:
Most streets in Hoboken are designated on one side (the north or west side) as “Resident Permit Parking Only” with a green sign/white letters, and the other side (south or east side) as “Permit Parking Only” with a white sign and green letters. The remaining streets are typically in commercial areas and designated as metered (time limit) parking.
Hows that for looking after number one?
THE BAND PERRY: “You Lie”
OGHOA rallies a vociferous crowd to support permit parking
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged OG Residents protest on July 11, 2017| 1 Comment »
By Paul Goldfinger, editor and Jack Bredin, reporter/researcher @Blogfinger.net
An estimated 100 Grovers showed up at last night’s Township Committee meeting to support permit parking as one popular solution to the town’s parking problems.
According to our reporter, the Committee was less than enthused about the proposal. They claimed that the idea was floated in the past, and no agreement could be reached. Randy Bishop is said to have previously called this topic “a waste of time.”
Nevertheless, the Township Committee asked their attorney Gene Anthony to prepare the wording for a November non-binding referendum which would be voted on at the next meeting. Anthony said that the issue was complex. There was no talk of a detailed plan; the referendum would be more general.
Evidently the idea of a referendum was floated by the HOA and that idea doesn’t seem so thrilling. Here is what Barbara Burns said about that in a recent email to the HOA members:
“Several members of the OGHOA attended the last Township Committee meeting and spoke up. As a result, on July 10, 2017, the Township Committee will discuss a proposal to place a referendum question on the November ballot, for Ocean Grove only, on whether to institute permit parking.”
The reason that a referendum is not a good idea is that we have to wait until November to take the pulse of voters and also only registered voters could vote on it. We have many homeowners in town who vote elsewhere, so they will be disenfranchised for this parking referendum, while many renters could vote.
In addition, Burns was evidently wrong when she said that only Grovers would vote on the permit question. So Neptuners would vote, and they tend to be negative regarding OG’s needs.
The best goal would be for only Grovers to be surveyed on this question, and that could be accomplished if we had a town meeting, perhaps at the Youth Temple, where we could vote on the question and get a more accurate assessment of how residents here feel about. Absentee ballots should be allowed.
The Blogfinger poll may be getting more “no’s” than expected due to renters voting who are worried about their situation. Their roll in all this remains to be seen.
But perhaps the best news of the day is that a large number of concerned residents showed up at the seat of local power to demand, as a group, implementation of permit parking. Hopefully this sort of meaningful concern would happen again as needed.
This is a good sign. If only the HOA would wake up some more from their misguided past history and get more aggressive about certain issues such as Wesley Lake, single family zoning, and the commercialization of the North End.
RICHARD KILEY from Man of La Mancha:
Games people play: fighting the parking wars, part IV
Posted in Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, Ocean Grove Topics, tagged parking games Ocean Grove on July 2, 2017| 7 Comments »
Double header on Heck. By Moe Demby, Blogfinger staff. Sunday, July 2, 2017 © In the foreground is a motorized chair for the infirm. A third neighbor liked the ideas so much, he put out two garbage pails to save a space, and a couple of hours later, the space was there for his girlfriend returning from work as a hospital nurse. The town was gridlocked, even with the new diagonal parking. But three spaces were blocked on this single block.
Who wants to pay high taxes for this? Getting fed up yet.? Ready to move to California? Save our town!
OG residents need to demand immediate relief: permit parking one space for each house. And a lifestyle change with reduced Township permission for massive events (flea markets, craft markets, car shows/street closures) and demands that all remaining large events provide out of town parking. And then build a wall to cutdown on freeload parkers who want to go to Asbury Parking mess.
Is it any wonder that Grovers have to resort to the above measures?
It is a disgrace that we can’t find parking in our town. Blogfinger encourages everyone to buy a cone and save a space. Also hang a sign in your window asking for permit parking. We hope to have a design for you next week. Just print in on your home printer and show your true colors.
AL JOLSON
Addendum from “Around Town with Jean.”
Jean Bredin. 7/2/17 © Ocean Grove.
There is so much scarcity in parking spaces in OG, that I was taken back some coming upon this mysterious structure on Mt. Hermon Way.
I am sure it has a logical purpose. An extra bedroom for a last minute guest…a cover for smelly garbage cans,…maybe a compost heap…..or just nothing more than a deluxe parking spot saver.
Editor’s note: Maybe a cover for a motorcycle. (see comments below)
Blogfinger Department of Creative Parking in Ocean Grove
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove parking problems on June 26, 2017| 1 Comment »
Blogfinger photo June 26, 2017. Ocean Grove.
If they asked me I could write a book about how many different motives are there for screwing around with parking…..let me count the ways.
We have been talking about manipulating cars in order to save a space for someone. But others play other games, like the guy with the fancy-pants Tesla shown above. This Florida driver parked on Delaware Avenue in such a way that no one could park behind him or in front of him. He left 8 feet in back and 12 feet in front. Why? To protect his car of course.
On the same block, around the corner from my house, is a car which is being warehoused. It sat a block a way for several months, and now it is moved to this location, probably to sit un-driven for more extended periods. We know that such a purpose is common in OG, and it is often by people who don’t even live here. For example one guy has a girlfriend who lives in town. He drives her second car and leaves his car sitting around in the Grove. He does not live here.
Then there are those who park a car at the ocean front to use as a beach locker. And there are the sloppy parallel parkers and those with driveways who take a spot on the street awaiting the arrival of a guest. Then, when the guest arrives, they pull onto their driveway and/or garage (it can work for two spaces).
There probably are other tricks as well, all of which result in less parking spaces for Grovers. Couple these parking games with the invasion of the parking snatchers (as, for example the Giant Flea Market and the barbarian Asburian hordes) and we have a bit of a problem Houston.
HAROLD LANG AND BEVERLY FITE from Pal Joey
Tell it like it is. A new paradigm for parking in Ocean Grove. Parking is not really the issue–it’s about the lives of those who live here.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove land use issues, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove opinions, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Parking Ocean Grove on June 17, 2017| 4 Comments »
Back then the CMA controlled all parking in the Grove. If that parking mandate was not outrageous, then why not the new paradigm?
Parking in the Grove. Resident parking should come first. Everyone else can find a way. Blogfinger photograph. 2015.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfnger.net
Until 1980, the Camp Meeting Association ran the town and could command everyone to move their cars out of town on Sunday. But they are no longer in charge, and Ocean Grove is now similar to other Shore towns when it comes to parking, except that we have few garages and driveways.
There are a finite number of parking spaces in the Grove and a finite number of residents.
Those people who live in this town and who pay to live here—owners and renters—-should receive a special status which gives them top priority for parking spaces.
The Township should promise that residents will be guaranteed a parking space whenever they need one. This can be done by allocating special reserved spaces for them. All others who come into town including tourists, shoppers, church-goers, and beachers will have to compete for the remaining spaces.
Where is it written that parking is a democratic process? Favoritism for residents is essential to maintain life styles and functionality for those who make this town their home. They deserve that privilege, and everyone else is on their own.
Many ideas can be implemented to help those non-residents who want to visit here, and those ideas involve reducing the number of visitors with cars and adding order with metered parking.
Yes there would be some wrinkles to iron out, but this favoritism offers a foundation for solving the problem and a chance to reclaim the town for the home-boys and girls who favor a comfortable, family style, non-congested, historical, small town atmosphere with air, light, space, and parking.
Petition the town, wave a magic wand, and voila—our home values will go up and our town will be better.
BILLY JOEL ROYAL:
Diagonal parking is no bargain and creates dangers.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove opinions, Ocean Grove parking problems on June 14, 2017| 2 Comments »
Giant truck Main Avenue near OceanAve. Ocean Grove, June, 2017. By Rich Amole, Blogfinger staff. ©
But also, as Rich Amole points out in the photo above, huge cars/trucks often occupy those diagonal spaces, and that can cause a problem as a car driving on Main has to go around that big vehicle.
Rich says:
“Hi Paul: Accident waiting to happen?
“Vehicle turning off of Ocean Ave onto Main Ave. certainly does not expect that a vehicle heading to Ocean Ave. has to swerve into that other lane to avoid hitting the truck. I happened to be in the Grove last Saturday and did have to pass into the other lane with caution.”
These are examples of how desperate attempts to add parking spaces in a futile effort to provide for the growing number of cars in the Grove all season long and beyond in both directions can create more chances for accidents. We need to have less cars in this small town–not more. People, including children actually live here; let’s improve the safety profile for them.
Cancel the plans for more diagonal parking and then let’s do some real creative thinking to help the residents.
—Paul Goldfinger, Editor.
CAST OF LA LA LAND “Another Day of Sun.”
Solving a parking problem—-ban cars and invite bicyclers
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove boardwalk, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Bicycling at the Jersey Shore, Bicycling in Ocean Grove, Bicycling in Ocean Township on April 23, 2017| 13 Comments »
Sunset Avenue Ocean Township. Sunday morning. 4/23/17. Paul Goldfinger photo. Click to look at this strange and happy sight. ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
One year ago, Ocean Township took advantage of a Federal grant. They banned parking on Sunset Avenue beginning at the bridge with Asbury Park. On the AP side there were many cars parked, but on the Ocean Twp. side, there were none. What a striking difference!
Instead, on the Ocean Twp. side of the bridge, bike lanes were established on both sides, and bikers were welcomed — an unusual development for a Jersey Shore town. A woman on a two wheeler was pulling a bicycle caboose with shade, screens, and a toddler inside as she headed towards Asbury. Then a string of about 6 bikers were spotted happily and safely following the bike lane heading west.
The car -free avenue extends to Logan Avenue and then to Deal Road.
We spoke to a resident who said that the car-less avenue did not create parking problems down the side streets, but this area has no beach, and houses have driveways and garages. The bikers were very pleased.
He pointed out that bike riders in most towns have challenges. If there is parallel parking, a sudden door opening can abruptly stop a passing bicyclist. As a result, in such locations such as Belmar bikers are often seen peddling down the middle of the street, creating other hazards And where there is diagonal parking, the space left for bikes forces them to the middle as well, or onto the sidewalks.
Ocean Grove boardwalk. Blogfinger photo ©
We have bicycles in the Grove, but the best bet is to go on the boardwalk during appropriate hours, such as 3 am to 10 am. Otherwise, cycling is a bit hazardous all around town. Not only do we have diagonal and parallel parking of many cars, but our side streets are a maze with unpredictable stop signs all over and cars whizzing about like at a chariot race.
Also, our parking situation in OG is so bad, that we seem to have little interest in the fate of bicyclists. Despite this, peddling around town is a popular social activity, but without the high speeders in spandex who sometimes race through the Grove, on the way to elsewhere. However for the slow-pokes and the kids, it is a holly-jolly thing to do–but be careful.
Bradley Beach bikers race through the Grove on the way to A. Park. Paul Goldfinger photo. ©
As for our parking problems, the Township Parking Task Force is busy trying to create more spaces by making our town more ugly. And the Township continues to promote high density construction projects without parking. What we need are innovative ways to lessen the number of cars in town; those ways have been discussed on Blogfinger. That would encourage more bikers.
Let Sunset Avenue in Ocean Twp. be an inspiration if not a direct roll model.
Here are a few links about biking in OG:
Or, take a walk with She and Him:
Editor’s note in response to Tom Costantino’s fanciful alternative narrative about parking in the Grove (see Tom’s comment; click below) see the etching below which shows a historic Ocean Grove without a single horse or buggy parked on the lovely streets depicted. Those founders made sure there was parking then by placing stables near the entrance to town. One was where the Embury Arms now take up an entire block with private parking, and the other was west of Delaware Avenue in the North End of town.
19th century Ocean Grove.
Our parking problems cannot be fixed without less cars in town. For starters, let the sponsors of those huge events (i.e. the CMA and the Chamber of Commerce) provide parking out of the gates, with a steady stream of buses in and out. Then let’s cancel some of those street clogging mega-sales and substitute events that are for the citizens of Ocean Grove, such as concerts in the parks, art sales for local artists,garden tours, poetry readings, film festivals, historic reenactments, town-wide yard sale, etc.
And we should offer relief to the homeowners with parking stickers. And we need a solution to the motorized invasion by those parkers heading for A. Park. This summer those Asbury meters will be operable until 2 am every day, putting even more pressure on our limited parking in the Grove.
The Depredation of Main Avenue and Firemen’s Park
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove land use issues, Ocean Grove lifestyles, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Diagonal parking in OceanGrove, Uglification of Ocean Grove on April 17, 2017| 11 Comments »
Main Avenue in the commercial area. Diagonal parking, an eyesore, is offensive to anybody’s sense of beauty. Blogfinger photo April 2017.
Firemen’s Park. Two truckers stop for a rest along the edge of our park on Main Avenue. The openness is welcomed, and only parallel parking should be continued there. Imagine how this airy view will be when the Neptunites install diagonal parking. Blogfinger photo April 17, 2017.
As I drove along Main Avenue a few days ago, I saw a bus resting along the edge of Firemen’s Park. It is not an uncommon sight, as drivers seek a respite—one of the few such places in Ocean Grove. In addition, from a beautification point of view, the vista across Firemen’s Park towards Main Avenue is beautiful and is enjoyed by all who live around the park, visit the park regularly, or just walk there as part of a strolling experience in that part of town. For those who drive into Ocean Grove, it is the first scenic view they have, coupled with the historic architecture in that neighborhood. It is also the last scenic event as they drive out of town.
Soon the Township will add a significant dose of ugliness by placing diagonal parking along the Main Avenue edge of the park. Ugh!
Why do we allow those Yahoos at the Mother Ship, in partnership with insensitive Grovers on the Parking Task Force, to make our picturesque town progressively repugnant-looking, one inch at a time?
Send an email, an old fashioned letter, a phone call or even a fly-over banner drone addressed to Mayor Michael Brantley and tell him that we want his support to stop the vilification of historic Ocean Grove. His administration refers to us as the Neptune “Historic District.” Since when is diagonal parking historic? Tell him that in 19th century OG even the horses could not be parked that way.
This ongoing indifference to the beauty of our town must be stopped or we will look like another crappy shore town clogged with cars, dumpsters, crowds, and ugliness.
drmbrantley@Neptunetownship.org
p.s. Jack Bredin says,
“The lyrics from the song by the Eurythmics tells us ‘Some of them want to abuse you, Some of them want to be abused.’
“They could be describing Neptune’s relationship with many apathetic OG property owners.”
THE EURYTHMICS “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This.”
Township to create nearly 100 new parking spaces, but is this a “great start?” *
Posted in Ocean Grove lifestyle, Ocean Grove opinions, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Parking in Ocean Grove on February 16, 2017| 18 Comments »
This is what the north side of Main Avenue looks like currently with diagonal parking. This scene is near New Jersey Avenue, and the new plan will extend this to Lawrence Avenue. Jean Bredin photo, Blogfinger staff.© 2/16/17.
This is the north side of Main Ave. along the edge of Firemen’s Park. Imagine it clogged with diagonally parked cars. © Jean Bredin photo; Blogfinger staff. 2/16/17.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
In a Coaster article (Jan. 25, 2017) it was reported that the Township Committee approved “almost 100 new parking spaces”and that the Committee was “acting on recommendations presented by the ad hoc OG Parking Task Force.” That task force has members on it from the OGHOA.
The plan includes creating diagonal head-on parking on the north side of Main Ave. from New Jersey Ave. to Lawrence Ave. The same is planned on the west side of Central Avenue from Heck to Webb avenues.
But diagonal parking is ugly. The “new spaces” are created by cramming more cars into a given space where currently there is parallel parking. Diagonal parking may be OK for commercial areas, but in residential areas it is not suitable.
On Main Avenue, starting from the eastern edge of Firemen’s Park and heading west, the diagonal parking will look congested and will visually and actually narrow Main Avenue. Currently that portion of the Avenue has an impressive and welcoming boulevard look.
For visitors who come into our historic town, they will not enjoy the same openness that currently shows off the Grove at its best with historic homes and a lovely park. In addition the town will lose one of the few places where a bus or truck can legally pull over and give some respite for the drivers to get their bearings or have a coffee.
As for how our leaders feel about this idea, here are two quotes borrowed from the Coaster:
Deputy Mayor Nick Williams, a member of the Township’s parking task force said, “We are going to move forward with these recommendations, and I think the task force did a good job.”
Resident Joyce Klein who is a member of the OGHOA and chairman of their parking committee said, “This is a great start* but I hope to think that this is the beginning and not the end of the parking study.” She is also on the task force.
So we will get some more spaces, but we don’t need more congestion and density as the price to pay in our residential areas while the town continues its slide downhill. The policy makers think that this will be wonderful, but do you think these task force people are doing the right thing?
It seems that they believe that all Grovers care about is parking and that we will accept any new spaces no matter the price. Do you think the task force gave any consideration to the appearance of our town—–how about the more important variables such as air, space and light? How about our quality of life?
This plan of squeezing more cars onto our streets fits in with the worrisome current pattern of more condos, more density, and more crowding. Making more spaces is not necessarily better than leaving those streets alone.
Who is this really helping?–the commercial and real estate interests, or the people who live here? Help the residents with parking stickers and do something to reduce the numbers of cars coming into town and the number of town-clogging events that are too often and create temporary paralysis for OG tax payers. Or build a parking garage somewhere.
This plan will be implemented by Memorial Day. Other ideas are also being considered, including even more diagonal parking on other parts of Central Avenue.
When it comes to policies that hurt our historic town, if no one complains, they will soon do it again:
MARILYN MONROE “Do It Again.”
Letter to the Editor: Woe is we. The parking life in Ocean Grove…a never-ending saga.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean GRove parking issues, Ocean Grove parking problems, Quality of life in Ocean Grove, tagged Concerns about the Mary's Place construction, Mary's Place in Ocean Grove, Parking problems in Ocean Grove on September 26, 2016| 4 Comments »
Mary’s Place. Artists rendering. Internet photo.
To the Editor:
As they used to say in Star Trek: “Space— the final frontier” But here in Ocean Grove it is parking spaces—-the final frontier :
In Ocean Grove it always comes down to parking and land usage and abuses. On our block on Main and Beach, The Henry Richard Inn is now being remodeled and converted into a single family home. Along Main Avenue, Mary’s place is now chock-full of volunteers’ cars and resident cars.
Yes, even after Labor Day, we can look west down the block and see no spots available on the south side of the street and some have even migrated onto Beach Avenue, making it a bit more challenging for the folks on Beach to find spaces in front of their own condo. So, while we have lost the Henry Richard’s parking challenges in the summer, we are now looking at folks finding spaces when we ordinarily could park without a single thought after Labor Day.
If we add to this the family on Main next to the old Henry Richard, we are now getting one or two of their fleet of cars now parking on Beach to add to our agita. Of course, that is the family and house that at time commandeers more than five or six spots on the south side of Main. The ritual of pulling out cars and replacing the space with motor bikes and schoolers is most entertaining on a summer’s day.
Ocean Grove has always been described as a “quirky” place. The owners of Mary’s Place along Main on the south side I do not think ever contacted or considered their new neighbors to be; instead, we saw the full use of those two building lots right to the very edge of the property lines.
It’s a done deal for a good cause, but those who objected to the aggressive use of that property were characterized as heartless and uncaring, and so it goes in Ocean Grove. Neighbors were worried about trucks, but what has happened is that parking in the usual Ocean Grove way has become a real issue for many.
All this, while there are spots galore on the north side in front of the convent and across the street in front of the Majestic, After all it is autumn in Ocean Grove and the streets are emptier as usual, but somehow, the big house that is Mary’s Place continues to add to our parking woes.
When will we get “residential” parking permits for people who pay taxes in Neptune and who pay the outrageous ground rents to a non-profit authority?
JESSE
Ocean Grove, N.J. Sept. 26, 2016.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is a quote from our article about Mary’s Place dated September 19, 2014:
“When people walk by Mary’s Place, they won’t admire its beauty; instead they will ask, “Who was responsible for allowing this out-of-place building to be constructed in this quaint, historic, residential town? ” They will ask why two fine Victorian single family houses were not placed there instead, like we now have on the Pathway. And they will see the parking problems and congestion due to the 10 clients staying there, the staff who will be needed to maintain the place, the visitors, and the rest of the support team who teach yoga, etc. Then there will be the deliveries, laundry trucks, garbage pickups, etc.”
And yes, we did get hate mail over our opposition to the Mary’s Place zoning decisions. But we also received support from commenters to that editorial.
Here is a link to that 2014 piece:
Subdividing the land under the now-demolished Park View Inn. 4 houses on undersized lots are planned.
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Ocean Grove issues, Ocean Grove opinions, Ocean Grove parking problems, tagged Park View Inn subdivision on September 23, 2016| 7 Comments »
This is what’s left of the Park View Inn on Seaview Avenue. Blogfinger photo Sept 22, 2016 © On the left is the Warrington (see our Warrington posts), and on the right is the La Pierre condos at the lake and a private home on Seaview. Click on photo and you might be able to discern palm trees in A. Park.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
Shirley and Ted Bell were married 62 years ago in the Park View Inn on Seaview Avenue in Ocean Grove which was owned by Shirley’s parents. It was a busy place and quite wonderful. There were porches in the back where guests could look out onto Wesley Lake and enjoy great hotel food. Lake Avenue ambled by, and walkers provided a parade for the Park Viewers. The Park was Founders Park.
Ted, an eminent Ocean Grove historian, recalls that Lake Avenue was “always a walkway.” The founders would not allow even a horse and buggy on that footpath. Lake Avenue actually had two levels, with the houses and hotels being elevated (see photo below). But for now, Ted and Shirley can sit on their porch on Seaview Avenue, look across the lake, and see real palm trees!
1896. Wesley Lake. Ocean Grove. Clearly the precedent for Lake Avenue is a walkway. Courtesy of Ted Bell, Ocean Grove historian. Look closely and you will see Ted walking over to Days Ice Cream Garden.
1896. OG. Lake Avenue had upper and a lower elevations. No one imagined that someone might want a roadway there. Courtesy of Ted Bell.
Now that the Inn is gone, the Township has approved plans to subdivide that narrow lot into 4 undersized house lots. Two would be on Seaview Avenue, while two would be on Lake Avenue. Those lots are currently for sale. The two lake front lots are $459,000 each. The two Seaview Avenue lots are $419,000 each. The four houses planned are said to have received approval for 3 stories each.
But since Lake Avenue is not a street or a road, land use law would forbid building those two lakeside houses. They should have never been given permission. We also need to determine if the lakeside houses are being built on Green Acres properties.
Municipal Land Use Law (New Jersey). Official record. Click to read it easier. Source: Jack Bredin.
The neighbors over there are concerned about parking and access issues. Supposedly a path between the houses would allow access to Lake Avenue from Sea View. Or the residents could walk around to Lake Avenue (aka Beach Avenue) by the boardwalk and then head west. But what about UPS, garbage trucks, mail delivery, etc.?
And won’t those houses be crowded together when built on small lots? Would they get any breezes or light? Aren’t OG lots small enough? Shouldn’t there be only two houses there, fronting on Seaview and with lovely rear yards and views of the lake?
Blogfinger will be investigating these issues. Please comment if you have any information.
Link to our 1/14/16 article about the land under the now demolished Park View Inn. It is very interesting:
So how exactly were these permissions given? How long has this been going on?
PEGGY LEE