Main Avenue, Ocean Grove. July 4, 2019. In our opinion, The people want to preserve our lifestyles and keep the small town of Ocean Grove historic and uncluttered. Paul Goldfinger photo of the Days Kazoo Band. 7/4/19. Blogfinger.net
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor, Blogfinger.net. 11/1/19
We have announced the forthcoming Planning Board meeting (11/13/19) and have encouraged citizens to attend. I would caution you about a dirty trick sometimes evoked in the past whenever a controversial topic was to be discussed at the Mother Ship.
If a large number of Grovers were anticipated to attend, the meeting might be cancelled and rescheduled in the dead of winter.
Here’s a copy of some information transmitted by email from the OGHOA:
“The North End Redevelopment Agreement will be on the agenda for the next scheduled meeting of the Neptune Township Planning Board on Wednesday, November 13, 2019, 7 pm at the Municipal Building, 25 Neptune Boulevard.
“The Planning Board will review the Redevelopment Agreement and the many plans that are incorporated in the Agreement. These include the site plan, traffic plan, drainage plan, landscaping plan and architectural drawings. There’s a lot to unpack here, and the Planning Board’s review is a key part of the process.
“If you care about this issue, the obligations of the redeveloper, and how construction in the North End is expected to unfold, you should attend this Planning Board meeting.”
Blogfinger finds this message from the Home Groaners to be hopelessly incomplete either due to ignorance of the subject or purposeful evasiveness.
Among the many issues which should be addressed in the open include: Environmental impact, financial guarantees, parking garage, parking in the neighborhood, easements across the boardwalk, subdividing one lot into two, plans to block public access, impact on Grover lifestyles in that area and actually all over town, air and light for the public, relationship with the Asbury Park Casino, elevations related to the boardwalk, pollution of Wesley Lake, plans for Lake Avenue, HPC evaluation, flood prevention, retaining wall along the lake, payment to repave the Municipal Building parking lot, types of retail, condominium details, access for fire and sanitation, CMA ground rent agreements, and the very legality of these proceedings.
Since this plan is a “redevelopment plan” which received preferential zoning, the public has a right to know all that will take place in the process. This presentation should be an open book, and the reading of that book should take many meetings to be done properly. Maybe you can think of some topics that you would like to hear about.
Can you imagine that all the above “plans” might be approved in one fell swoop? Well, if the Planning Board wants to rush it through (a “snow job,”) they will, but the topic and all its ramifications should be carefully considered, and that should require many public meetings.
Blogfinger reporters will be at the meeting, and Jack will be breathing fire, and hopefully he won’t be the only one bringing a ring of fire.
—PG Blogfinger.net
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