New curb and curb-cut at the northern end of Central Avenue. What is the meaning of this? Click to enlarge the curb-cut and let a truck through. Blogfinger.net photograph. 5/14/17 ©
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger and Jack Bredin, Researcher @Blogfinger.net
At Blogfinger we have long been suspcious of the North End Redevelopment Plan. Our concerns are multiple, and you can review our many articles on the subject by typing key words into the search box at the top right of this page.
One of our concerns is that there is a secret Master Plan which would create new roadways to make the large NERP project possible. You may recall that the Home Groaners Ass. proposed putting in some roadways near the Founders’ Park west end, supposedly to create some new parking spaces. That ridiculous idea did not (yet) materialize, but we saw it as one piece of a destructive move to turn Lake Avenue into a two way road stretching to the boardwalk.
That could be a part of access and egress roads to and from the North End, also involving Central Avenue and Beach Avenue. You may recall that the Tax Map and even Google Maps have been labeling Lake Avenue at its east end as “Beach Avenue.” We have written about that concern where Lake Avenue, a walkway, could become a roadway.
Currently, Central Avenue is being paved. If you were to walk down to the northern-most end of Central you will see that a new curb and a new curb cut have been installed. Before this there was no curb there; just some grass which a car or truck could ride onto.
So why has a curb cut been installed? Firstly, curb cuts are illegal in Ocean Grove. Secondly, the curb cut opens onto a sort of lot which could accomodate a house, but this is CMA property, and it is part of a much larger lot. It is not subdivided for a house there.
Could it be for trucks and other vehicles to ride onto? Why would that be since there is no roadway beyond that—just the Lake Avenue walkway; and a curb cut is not a way to access a road.
We have requested an engineer’s plan to see if we can learn the purpose of that curb cut.
Any ideas? (See Kevin Chambers comment by clicking below on “comments”)
Even Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon (and his orchestra) are wondering if this curb-cut might be the start of something big.