Welcome to the Ocean Grove North End Redevelopment zone. Blogfinger photo.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net. Jack Bredin, Researcher @Blogfinger.
Since 2007, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association and the North End financial backers–WAVE— have been promising to move ahead with the North End Redevelopment Plan. That official NERP was passed by the Neptune Township Committee in 2008.
In order to get the process really moving, beyond the conceptual phase which has been dormant for years, at least 3 affirmative votes by members of the new 2016 Neptune Township Committee would be required to approve a Redevelopers Agreement (contract) with WAVE regarding that 2008 NERP. After that, a resolution approving the contract would be signed by the Mayor and the Township Clerk. Public hearings should be held to announce the new agreement.
If WAVE wants to change the plan from the 2008 concept to something else, then the entire process has to start again from scratch.
At the February 8th meeting of the Township Committee, the Committee’s attorney, Gene Anthony, announced that he had recently received a message from WAVE that WAVE and the OGCMA were completing their private agreement and that, secondly, WAVE has a new investment “partner.” When everything is finalized, they will combine their financials and make a presentation. They will have to disclose everyone involved who has over a 10% interest in the plan.
We don’t know if any of the present members of the Township Committee have attended any of those private meetings along with the Township Attorney. We don’t know if any of the 2016 Committee know much about the NERP and its questionable features.
The agreement announced by Mr. Anthony should be completed by mid-February, so then we’ll see if Sisyphus can push this boulder up the hill.
SINEAD LOHAN