The HOA Parking Committee had been reborn about 6 months ago and they began with an online survey. Some of their findings are posted on their web site, although the actual survey questions have been removed.
But here is a result currently on their website (OGHOA.org):
“One other notable result is that while very few people are willing to pay for preferential parking within four blocks of their home, a good number are willing to pay between $100 and $300 for some form of preferential parking on the block where they live.”
So, isn’t that interesting?
The HOA is setting up the discussion by asking taxpayers how much they will pay for preferential parking. But that’s not the right question. They should have asked how many taxpayers want the HOA to take a hard line on this and demand some form of free permit parking. Where is that statistic?
The HOA needs to get tough with Neptune regarding parking for residents.
And, by the way, parking has been a contentious subject for many years in this town. In fact, the HOA once had a parking committee which turned out to be a failure. So don’t expect a quick solution at the meeting, unless the HOA tries to strong-arm a pay-to-play remedy where we offer money to Neptune to give us what should be provided for free.
Also, do they really expect to solve the parking and the RSIS issues at the same meeting? We’ll see. Blogfinger will have reporters there, but we would like your feedback if you attend. Send your observations (with or without your real name) to Blogfinger@verizon.net.
Editor’s note: Phillip Orton, Ph.D., a new addition to the pantheon of Grovers, has made some recent comments regarding our piece about the lawsuit at #50 Main Avenue. Along the way he became interested in the subject of parking in the Grove, especially as it relates to the North End, so we are handing the podium to him for a guest editorial:
I should have made it clearer earlier — I am not talking specifically about the case in this post, which is one of law. I’m talking about the broader parking/development issues for Ocean Grove, here.
New developments, or not, Ocean Grove will be saddled with a huge parking problem in summer and especially when there are special events. Has there been much brainstorming about broad solutions to this problem? I presume so, but if so then I’m late to the conversation.
As you and I once discussed, if a North End development goes in with ample parking, there may be traffic problems as it’s a corner of town with poor access. So the solution at North End may not be more parking. And this leads to your very reasonable suggestion that we must have “one unit per lot” instead.
But I think there are many people like me, who would rather see something more reflective of the historical character of the North End area — a hotel, shops, and a bathhouse which were on that site.
Here are some ideas that might make a difference for the parking problem —
Parking permits and special curbside parking spots (with signs) that are only for residents, perhaps one per house, just to make sure everyone has at least one option.
Perhaps during summer and events, there could be parking provided elsewhere in Neptune, and shuttles every 10 minutes (just circling). Seems tough and not like a popular idea, but it might be seen as a better alternative than circling for an hour looking for a spot.
Perhaps there could be some kind of high-profile shuttle to and from the Asbury Park train station, looping to the beach and back. Tiki bar in the back … okay maybe not!
I personally anticipate that the region (Asbury, first) will slowly join the trend that many other medium-density towns in the US are already seeing — a slow movement toward reduced car ownership. Things like car sharing are coming. Uber is already here, and a way for people like me to occasionally do things I can’t do by bike/foot.
A modest investment in the existing rail corridor could greatly improve movement north-south along the shore and bring a lot of excitement and investment in transit-oriented development. I could go on and on …
I have lived and worked in places that are already doing this, for nearly 20 years (Portland, Hoboken). There are many people who want walkable towns and transit-oriented development, and are ready to own 0 or 1 car per housing unit.
This would be a great thing for Ocean Grove, a town of small lots and no driveways that was built before cars, largely around walking and train transportation.
New development could occur, yet parking availability could be improved, if diverse and creative minds get together to problem-solve and come up with some big ideas to take advantage of these trends.
This appeared in 2013, so it is fun and timely to post it again..And don’t fail to read the 34 comments. Do your homework for the HOA parking forum on Jan 23.
Use the BF search engine on the top of the page and search under parking, RSIS, etc. Don’t let the Home Groaners Board steamroll you with their usual lawyerly, pedantic propaganda.
One of our goals on Blogfinger, since our beginning in 2009 has been to dispel out-of-date stereotypes about Ocean Grove. We have been interested in the demographics, life-styles and dynamics in town, and it has been a fascinating topic since those variables keep changing.
If you all reflect on why you love this town and why it is unique, then perhaps you will take an active interest in what’s going on over at the “mother ship,” ie the Neptune Township Municipal Building which has shown no maternal instincts towards Ocean Grove.
As a result, we have questionable municipal land use decisions including zoning designations, subdivisions, and multi-residential construction approvals without parking. And there is the 800 pound gorilla in the room—the North End Redevelopment Plan.
The next important event on the municipal land use horizon is the December 17th meeting* of the “streets and parking committee” of the NJ Site Improvement Advisory Board (SIAB) where Neptune will try to convince the State committee that the entire town of Ocean Grove should be exempt from state parking (RSIS) regulations. The meeting was scheduled after the Neptune planner satisfied all the requirements of the SIAB, after twice being denied because of incomplete applications.
The Township planner will explain that the exemption is needed to preserve Ocean Grove’s historical integrity. But those reasons have been contrived and are not true. Let’s see what Neptune has to say this time.
Neptune wants to be awarded a “special area parking standard” so that mandatory off-street parking (RSIS) is no longer required by the State when new construction is done, such as with the building of a condominium project. Up to now, the Township has ignored the State RSIS parking rules . If the Township’s request is now granted, Neptune can continue allowing new construction without disobeying State laws regarding parking.
Since Neptune routinely follows its own ordinances which forbid off street parking, developers have had a field day in our town building condos or “community residences” (as at Mary’s Place) without parking, in every location where an old building is ripe for conversion or replacement after a fire, as we saw with prior condos, such as the large one on Ocean Pathway near the Albatross (a place, by the way, which has developers drooling as they envision condos without parking there.) Even Committeeman Randy Bishop supposedly wants to turn his small inn into condos.
However, the harsh reality is that whether Neptune wins or loses their request in December in Trenton, the condominium drumbeat will continue, abetted by the Township Committee and the Ocean Grove Homeowners Association. (*Neptune withdrew that application when they learned that OG citizens would be there to protest. They never reapplied. We continue the discussion here in 2016/17 for educational purposes.)
Don’t let that Neptune application fool you when they argue that OG is “all built out” and therefore no need to worry about future condos. On the contrary, there are quite a few potential condo locations around town. How about the Warrington? Will that become a hotel without parking, or will it become a flop house without parking, or will it be condos without parking?
We cannot count on property owners to worry about the town the way the Park View’s new owner is promising single family homes over on Seaview Ave. If he changes his mind and asks the Township to let him build condos, and if they approve (as they tend to do,) then we will have to change the name of that street.
Since there seems to be no obvious reason for requesting the new designation, we do have to wonder what the motive is for the Township to go after the “special area standard.” A skeptic might wonder if the State is being hoodwinked into approving the application, because if they do, the North End developers can then manipulate the zoning to cancel the Area in Need of Redevelopment designation at the North End and then trash all plans to include off street parking as currently proposed in the NERP.
So, what is the bottom line? The only way to prevent Ocean Grove from slipping and sliding into irrelevance is for the citizens to demand that Neptune zoning for all residential districts in the Grove be changed immediately todetached single family houses and no off-street parking and no curb cuts. This will eliminate all future land use problems and will increase the numbers of on-street parking spots.
Can that be done? Yes it can if the HOA and the citizens create a show of force and make that demand loud and clear. And what about Kevin Chamber’s lawsuit on Main Avenue? If he wins, then all bets are off.
And as for the lifestyle here. Most of us know what we want the future Grove to be, and the key is single family zoning. After that the town will be saved.
–Paul Goldfinger, Editor @ Blogfinger.
—Jack Bredin, Researcher
MERLE HAGGARD and the PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND —sing about losing the blues.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger.net Quotes from the application:
RSIS regulations indicate that special areas are warranted to recognize the need for preservation and/or enhancement of community character and sense of place in a given municipality. (pg 1)
This application….seeks relief from RSIS standards in an overall effort to balance the needs of residents, visitors and public safety with the unique challenges of maintaining a Federal and State Historic Designation coupled with the unique and historic patterns of development that comprise Ocean Grove as a whole. (pg 2)
The Ocean Grove Historic District is comprised of over 3,000 homes, the overwhelming majority of which are still owned by the OGCMA. (p 3 sic)
A quote from the Master Plan: “…encouraging new construction that is compatible in scale and design to the physical character of the surrounding neighborhood.”
The sidewalks and the curbing are not maintained by the Township, with the exception of the medians and curbing on medians along Broadway. Otherwise, sidewalks and curbing are maintained by the OGCMA (sic page 13)
A shuttle service is now provided on Saturdays for people who attend Saturday night events in the Great Auditorium to help mitigate the increase in demand for parking (sic p 17)
Regarding the NERP. “The Township has effectuated a Redevelopment Agreement with the OGCMA.”
In consideration of the historic designation standards, lack of vacant land and the overall Township goal of preserving the historic patterns of development in Ocean Grove, the existing density in Ocean Grove is projected to remain relatively constant, due to the fact that OG is essentially built-out (p 24)
Strict compliance with RSIS parking requirements would result in a net loss of parking spaces with in OG. The loss of on- street parking would change its fundamental character and historic development pattern, have a detrimental effect on those residents living in Ocean Grove , and may result in the loss of the Federal Historic District Designation that OG has maintained for decades. (p 27)
It is estimated that there are approximately 1.38 potential on-street parking spaces per occupied unit (ie house or condo). This potential inventory adequately addresses the parking need, given that the average number of vehicles per household in the 2010 census is 1.5 vehicles. (p 30)
Neptune Township has worked in concert with the OGCMA to continue to ameliorate parking issues within Ocean Grove. (p 31)
Six or seven weeks ago we warned everyone that Neptune Township was seriously cracking down on violators who park in those yellow-striped rectangular no-parking areas at intersections.
Now comes word from an alert reader that the heat is indeed on. Via email she tells us the NPD’s new Parking Enforcement car is “running around town” ticketing people for parking partially within these spaces.
It’s a fire safety issue. Fire fighting equipment can’t turn the corners of Ocean Grove’s narrow streets unless they’ve got space at the intersections. — CL
This car is legal -- barely. You wouldn't want to push it more than this. Photo by Charles Layton
Here is what the new parking enforcement car looks like. Its sole purpose is to seek out parking violators. Photo by Mary Walton
