At Blogfinger, we have been trying to keep up with the press coverage of our FEMA situation. That coverage has been spotty and often contains errors of fact, especially where the FEMA regulations are concerned and about the roll of the Camp Meeting Association in Ocean Grove. In addition, some sources have tried to muddy the waters by introducing the 2007 Pavilion controversy into the discussion.
But today I discovered a Yahoo! Voices piece from March 3 which got it right. It is by Bailey Hinson, and I am reproducing it below. It is old news, but it is worth reading due to its precise assessment of the situation.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
YAHOO! VOICES Contributor Network:
March 4, 2013
By Bailey Hinson
Ocean Grove, New Jersey—the Town that FEMA Forgot
This Jersey Shore Town Gets Dissed by FEMA
Ocean Grove, New Jersey, is one of the most picturesque of small towns that dot the Jersey Shore. Its boardwalk and oceanfront area were decimated by Superstorm Sandy, and due to a technicality, FEMA is offering no assistance to this town.
Unlike other local beaches which are owned by municipalities, the beachfront in Ocean Grove is owned by the non-profit Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. The OGCMA was denied the financial assistance that other towns are receiving due to this difference. The beach in Ocean Grove operates like every other municipal beach in the area. It is open to the public. There are no restrictions on purchasing beach badges, and no special membership is required. But the town is now in a position where massive fundraising efforts must be planned in order to repair the boardwalk, lighting and other beachfront structures.
FEMA has made the case that the Ocean Grove boardwalk is purely recreational, and therefore not eligible for non-profit financial assistance. But the wooden walkway is much more than a means of recreation. It is a structure that enhances the safety of visitors by giving first responders a platform from which to launch emergency efforts. It also affords local bicycle policemen a view of the water’s edge, where accidents most often occur. And, it is the support structure for the streetlights which keep the area safer in the evening hours.
The boardwalk in Ocean Grove also provides access to the neighboring towns of Bradley Beach and Asbury Park. Commerce is impeded when tourists cannot walk or bike from one small town to the next. Visitors often walk from the Grove into Asbury Park to shop in the boardwalk boutiques. Restricting access to this area of Asbury Park will hurt the economic future of this town which has struggled to regain its footing as a destination at the Jersey Shore.
It is a shame that Ocean Grove has been denied the monetary help that every other town in the area will receive. The fact that it is because the beach is owned by a non-profit entity makes it even sadder.