Ocean Grove hotel, condo plan moves ahead; historic group won't have any control over it
NEPTUNE - The Neptune Township Committee voted 3-2 to move forward with a development on the north end of Ocean Grove, a plan with a mix of retail, condominiums, single-family homes, a hotel with an underground parking garage, as opponents complained the lack of a historic commission's input is unfair.
For well over three hours, Ocean Grove residents voiced their displeasure and pleaded to their elected officials to vote against the proposed redevelopment plan at the Feb. 26 township committee meeting. Following the numerous public comments, the majority of the Township Committee listened to the advice of their attorneys and approved a pair of resolutions, as well as an introduced an ordinance to adopt the redevelopment plan.
The first resolution authorizes a settlement agreement and an amended redevelopment agreement between the township and the developer, OG North End Development LLC (OGNED). The second resolution pushes the plan to the township planning board. The introduced ordinance would adopt the amended redevelopment plan. The public hearing and final vote to adopt the ordinance is scheduled for the March 11 committee meeting.
Deputy Mayor Robert Lane, Committeeman Kevin McMillan and Committeeman Keith Cafferty voted to approve the resolutions and ordinance. Mayor Tassie York and Committeeman Derel Stroud voted no.
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Cafferty and McMillan explained that their yes votes were due to their confidence in the township's attorneys and on the legal advice that not voting for this amended plan could result in a lawsuit and a judge deciding to revert back to the original OGNED plan.
The public took issue with the fact the developer did not need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historical Preservation Commission. Ocean Grove residents have to get that approval for all exterior work performed on or around any existing or proposed single-family, townhouse, multifamily dwelling, religious or recreational structure within the Ocean Grove Historic District.
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'Everyone else has to follow those rules'
The overall design of the buildings in the OGNED redevelopment plan are not consistent with Victorian-era architecture, critics say. There are dozens of issues raised by the Historic Preservation Commission, some which the revised plan addressed but were not necessarily resolved.
Some criticisms mentioned during the meeting included flat roof decks which are inconsistent with Victorian buildings; how Ocean Grove is comprised of external porches and not rows of condominium-style balconies; the general size of the proposed buildings being inconsistent with the historic style; and the lack of variation of the heights, facades and roofing materials of the buildings.
The mayor said she voted no "because in the beginning (the developers) said they would not do anything without a COA (Certificate of Appropriateness)" from the Historic Preservation Commission.
"For them to turn around, change and make course, I find that to be dishonest," York said.
Stroud's reasoning was similar. "If Jane Doe can't repaint her white house white because the (Historic Preservation Committee) said so, then everyone else has to follow those rules as well," he said.
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Lane said when he was on the planning board in 2019, "we approved that (OGNED) project, we thought it was good at that point" but added the Historic Preservation Commission had "aesthetic issues" with the project.
"That plan that we have now is a much better plan than we had before, and that plan is not going away, so it is either A or B," Lane said. "We want control on this project and this area. It has to go back to the planning board again for final approval before it comes back to us. Some want this plan to disappear and start from scratch, and that is not the case."
The plan dates back to 2018, when then-Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association President Michael Badger said the organization reached a development deal with a group of investors to bring a new 40-room hotel, 39 condominiums, 10 single-family homes, along with new retail space to the area.
Ocean Grove was created in 1869 by Methodist clergymen and is known for its Victorian-style homes and the Great Auditorium, which frequently attracts religious gatherings. It is commonly known by the nickname "God's Square Mile." It is part of Neptune Township, but the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association owns most of the land except for the streets. Homeowners and businesses there rent their land from the association.
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The portion of land on the north end of Ocean Grove on Spray Avenue has sat undeveloped since 1978, when the North End Hotel was demolished due to "spiraling maintenance costs and declining patronage," according to Asbury Park Press archives.
But key to the project is an underground parking garage, which officials have said is essential. For years, Ocean Grove has been dealing with a parking issues that are exacerbated in summer months with beach traffic and Asbury Park patrons seeking the free parking in Ocean Grove, which is just a short walk to the south.
In November 2023, residents were able to convinced the Neptune Township Committee to put off a decision on OGNED.
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Residents not happy
Many residents Monday night criticized their elected officials for not holding the developer and the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association to the same standards as the residents.
Resident Joyce Klein said "special developers get to bypass the (Historic Preservation Commission) but everyone else in Ocean Grove have to adhere to the (Historic Preservation Commission) guidelines."
"Ironically, I have a project review with the (Historic Preservation Commission) tomorrow morning for a proposal … to add a first-floor bathroom, something I have desperately needed in the past two weeks. If my proposal gets turned down, will you help me bypass that rejection?" Klein said.
The Ocean Grove Homeowners Association did a survey of its membership and they received 400 unique responses out of about 1,100 emails. The association said 83% of responders said any development of the north end required the proper certification.
"That is a very clear-cut indication of how the residents of Ocean Grove, your constituents, feel about you undermining the (Historic Preservation Commission). Voting no on the settlement does not kill the project it merely puts it back on track for the normal process," Klein said.
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Resident Andy Levine likened Ocean Grove to Neptune's golden goose and said "greed destroys man's future and fortune, and greed has the potential to destroy the character and economic future of Ocean Grove."
"The project will take seven years to complete, that is seven years of cement trucks, construction, disruption. … Tourists will avoid Ocean Grove in favor of other communities and that will hurt our economy," Levine said.
He added that "Wesley Lake floods with increasing frequency," referring to the lake that divides the north end of Ocean Grove from the south end of Asbury Park.
"This development will send an additional runoff and pollution into the lake and other neighboring properties, making a bad situation worse," Levine said.
He argued the project would exacerbate the existing parking issues.
"We all know that Ocean Grove has a major parking problem in summer. This project takes away a significant number of public space and fails to provide new spaces for hotel workers, retail workers and other visitors," Levine said.
Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Ocean Grove hotel, condo plan moves ahead; historic panel has no say
