View from the ocean to the west. Shore Point Architecture.
Re-post from July, 2020.
Facing west from the boardwalk at the North End of Ocean Grove.
On the left is the hotel. In the middle is retail. On the right are condominiums.
SUFJAN STEVENS: “No Man’s Land.”
This land is not your land, for the right hand Takes what it can, ransacks with the mad man For this land is not yours or mine to have This land was made for the good of itself
The OGHOA announced today that there will be a “featured speaker” at their June meeting.
That speaker will be “Bill” Gannon, identified by the Home Groaners as “a member of Ocean Grove North End Development LLC (‘OGNED,’) the redeveloper of the North End. Bill will update us on the status of the project and OGNED’s plans for the site.”
There is no mention of a Q & A, but presumably he will take questions from the floor.
It’s interesting that the announcement says that he will discuss “OGNED’s plans for the site.”
But surely the HOA President is aware that the Township Committee is in charge of this “Area in Need of Redevelopment” project. Did she invite someone from the Township? Why don’t Neptune officials report the details at the meeting?
Is Gannon now the spokesman for the North End Redevelopment Plan? Where’s he been? Who appointed him spokesman?
JOE BROWN: “That’s the Way it Goes” (by George Harrison)
“There’s a man talking of the promised land
He’ll acquire it with some Krugerrand
Subdivide and deal it out
Feel his clout
He can stoop so low
And that’s the way it goes.”
Will the North End Plan take care of increased ground water that could pollute the ocean and the lake? Blogfinger photo.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net
This information is obtained from a recording of the Township Workshop Session on May 23, 2019, with Administrator Vito Gadaleta summarizing the “progress” as the Township seeks to move forward with the North End project.
He said that the Township Redevelopment Committee had come to an agreement with the Redeveloper OGNED. Supposedly the parties involved have “resolved all the issues.”
Of course Gadaleta gave no indication as to what those issues are and how they were “resolved.” We expect that the agreement will be made public because the end result of all this talk will be a “re-draft” of the long expected Redevelopers Agreement, a public document, which would have to be signed by Neptune Township.
At Blogfinger we have questioned the procedures which have been followed to move the project to this point. All redevelopment projects are public and are run by the Township.
After the Agreement is finalized, the plan will go to the Planning Board (perhaps at their July meeting) and then will finish up at the Historic Preservation Commission.
We have no information about a site plan or about DEP permits. We want to know about elevations and environmental issues including ground water controls and protection of the ocean and Wesley Lake.
As for the fire cleanup, Gadaleta said that the owner of the building (Robert Dweck) will be receiving permission from the CMA to dismantle part of the boardwalk at the North End so that the debris can be moved westward to waiting vehicles. They expect that this cleanup will happen in one week.
He also reported that he, Mayor Rizzo, William Gannon (an owner of the Dunes), and Robert Dweck, the owner of the White Whale, went to the Governor’s office to seek grants to help the businesses that were lost in the fire.
—Free rabies Clinic (dogs and cats welcome) presented by Neptune Twp. Saturday—May 5, 2018 at the Neptune Public Works, 2201 Heck Avenue in Neptune from 9 am to 11 am. Take Rt 33 and turn right onto Neptune Blvd (near Walgreen’s. ) Drive past the high school and then turn left onto Heck. The DPW is ahead on the right. Dog license renewals will be accepted. Please bring renewal letter and payment.
The CSU study, released online and by The Weather Channel, says seven hurricanes – three of them major – and 14 named storms are expected this season along the Atlantic Coast, according to the CSU Tropical Meteorology Project.
—March 12 Committee meeting: There was discussion about a bus shuttle to help with parking. Here is a quote from the minutes:
“Ms. Rizzo stated the parking professional from the Parking Task Force indicated that the shuttle was not a good idea. The Mayor stated that this shuttle proposal is just an idea. It would use the Senior Center bus to shuttle visitors to the midtown school parking lot. Mr. Gadaleta stated there is nothing in the budget specifically dedicated to the shuttle program.
He added that he discussed the idea of valet parking with the Chamber of Commerce as a project they could look into. The Inskip Avenue lot would be used for parking. Ms. Rizzo replied that the Camp Meeting Association is against the use of the Inskip Avenue lot for parking.”
Two Grovers said that the Parking Task Force should work with a parking consultant on a shuttle plan.
No one from the Home Groaners brought up the parking permit idea which is the only one, so far, that would help the residents of OG. It was recently buried by the Township. So it seems that Groaners have thrown in the towel on this issue without a fight or a current expert opinion to offer the citizens.
In January the HOA said, “This issue is not dead,”** but it sure looks that way unless someone can resuscitate the moribund permit parking idea. This quote is from the HOA minutes of January, 2018—-below:
“OGHOA minutes** of Jan. 2018 Home Groaners’ meeting: Parking Report — Joyce Klein reported that the Township Committee voted at its December meeting not to take action in support of a trial plan to alleviate parking problems in Ocean Grove. It does plan to meet with Asbury Park officials to see if some coordinated improvements could be made. This issue is not dead.”
Editor’s note: Really Groaners? If permit parking is not dead, then where’s the pulse? —it still has none 3 months later, now in April.
Somebody call the medical examiner.
And how did that meeting with Asbury Park officials work out? In their minutes above the Groaners refer to “a trial plan to alleviate parking problems in Ocean Grove.” They are unable to even enunciate the words “permit parking” much less to make something happen.
The Committee and the Groaners are totally ineffective with this issue.
Regarding the North End Redevelopment Plan, Jack Bredin spoke to suggest that the Redevelopment Attorney should be at Committee meetings. At a February Committee meeting, the Township Attorney said that the Redevelopment Attorney would be at subsequent meetings or meeting.
Another Grover spoke up about Re-development plans, but the only such plan in Ocean Grove is at the North End. This quote is from the Committee minutes:
“Richard Williams, 1 Abbott Avenue, asked if the Township has a vision for the redevelopment areas or are developers saying what should be done. The Mayor responded that the Redevelopment Plan dictates what can be done. Redevelopment is based on what the Township wants, not what the Redeveloper wants. Mr. Gadaleta stated that all of the redevelopment plans are on the Township web site. Mr. Anthony stated that the Redevelopment Attorney negotiates the Redevelopment Agreement which includes safeguards to protect the Township.”
Mr. Williams and Joyce Klein, , who spoke at the meeting, are from the HOA, although they apparently didn’t identify themselves as such when they went to the microphone. Why is that? Do they not represent the OGHOA, or is this some sort of game-playing. Anyhow, they have been trying to push the Committee to action on parking, historic preservation, and the North End Redevelopment plans, but they typically get nowhere.
—BlogfingerSite Stats, April 3, 2018. 934 visits. Most popular topics: new yogurt place on Main Avenue, Dog beach, putting the horse before the cart, and April Snow. 14 countries visited including Romania, France, India, Canada and Israel.
