NEPTUNE -- The Ocean Grove North End Development (OGNED) that has been in the works for years is now close to becoming a reality for the township.
The development will include a 40-room Victorian-style hotel, 10 detached single-family Victorian homes, a one-story retail building facing the boardwalk, a four-story building with 30 condominiums, and a three-story building with nine condominiums. The site will include 155 off-street, on-site parking spaces with 24/7 public access to the privately owned Lakefront Promenade.
The planning board approved the amended site plan at the Feb 26 meeting. The amendments to the redevelopment plan will be added to a future township committee agenda.
Mayor Robert Lane Jr., who sits on the planning board and voted to approve the amended site plan told the Asbury Park Press that the amendments were "minor revisions" to the already approved redevelopment plan.
"Now that it has been approved by the planning board, we will finalize it with a resolution. Technically they can start filing for the permits for the project," Lane said.
According to the OGNED website, this "is a one-of-a-kind mixed-use development" that was designed around its unique location, the public's use of the facility, reduced density, parking requirements, view corridors and architectural aesthetics.
"This unique oceanfront parcel has been a dormant, unsightly gateway to our National Historic District for many years,” said Bill Gannon, co-partner in OGNED. "We are transforming this property into an oceanfront amenity that showcases the beauty and character of the Ocean Grove community. We are eager to begin construction and fulfill the vision that many in the community have long been seeking."
Construction would not start until after this year's summer season, officials said.
The developers worked with the township to reduce the number of condo units from 78 to 39, the number of hotel rooms from 80 to 40, and were able to reduce the footprint of the project while providing open space, public access easements and off-street "hidden parking."
"We are pleased that Neptune Township has recognized the importance of this redevelopment plan to the Ocean Grove community, as well as the financial benefit to the entire township," said OGNED co-partner Joel Brudner. "This was the ultimate goal of establishing this redevelopment zone — culminating in a landmark oceanfront project generating about $2 million in annual tax revenue for Neptune, of which $1 million will directly go to its schools and education."
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.
The project has been met with criticism from many Ocean Grove residents, many of whom have a problem 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.
The overall design of the buildings in the OGNED redevelopment plan are not consistent with Victorian-era architecture, critics argue. There are dozens of issues raised by the Historic Preservation Commission, some which the revised plan addressed but were not necessarily resolved.
The Historic Preservation Commission submitted its comments to the planning board in October 2024, stating that the plan "does not adhere to the stated requirements that the plan be historically appropriate for the Ocean Grove State and National Historic District."
Criticisms mentioned throughout the process included flat roof decks which are inconsistent with Victorian buildings; rows of condominium-style balconies that are not the same as Ocean Grove's external porches; 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.
Neighboring the OGNED site is the site of the former North End Pavilion that burned down nearly six years ago. Since then, the site has been cleared, and now developers are looking to build a beach club there.
The project and all its renderings are still in the conceptual stage. No plans have been submitted to the township for approval just yet, as the contract for the land was just signed. When asked about the North End Pavillion project at the Feb. 26 planning board meeting, the board's professionals told the public it was literally years away from being before the board, let alone approved.
Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: [email protected]