Dear Mayor Bishop,

My name is MaryLou Shipman. I own a home in Ocean Grove which I purchased in 2002. I'm happy to say that the current "grass strip" issue does not apply to me. My goal of installing brick pavers in that area had been put on hold due to more important home improvement needs. The issue does, however, present me with a question.

Why are we, as Ocean Grove homeowners, responsible to pay for the maintenance of old, large trees in the grass strip area? We are also required to repair sewer lines and sidewalks that have been damaged by the roots of these trees.

A few years ago I had a large, dying maple tree in front of my house which was a hazard and needed to be removed. When I called the Neptune municipalities, I was told that it was my responsibility - not the township's. I was told the same thing in regards to my cracked sidewalk. There was no logical explanation other than "That's just the way it is".

The HPC is making a pretty strong point of letting us know that we do NOT own the grass strip. To quote Deborah Osepchuk (Chairwoman of the Historical Preservation Commission) in her now infamous letter, "The grass strip is a public right of way -not the private property of the homeowner".

One final point which I'm sure you are aware of, Ocean Grovers don't own the land, we lease it.

In conclusion, if the grass strip is not my property, then perhaps you could direct me to the proper party within the Neptune Municipalities for reimbursement of my repairs. I have all of the receipts.

Sincerely yours,
MaryLou Shipman

For the Record:

This fatwa issued by the Historic Preservation Committee is just the latest move to control Ocean Grove residents. It is a byproduct of panic and fear. As in the maddening hypocrisy enveloping the issue of civil unions, the old guard and the recently transplanted zealots in town are desperate for relevancy. They can see the future and they don't like what's staring back at them. Their brand of dictatorial and condescending dogma is slowly dying on the vine and they know it. Like many throughout history - including right here in Ocean Grove - those who know they will soon be irrelevant throw whatever they can against the wall hoping something - anything will stick. They know their time in power has come and gone and they're angry. What's next, a search of our homes to be sure we've hung a cross and a portrait of Scott Rasmussen?

The majority of Ocean Grove residents are no longer elderly, infirm or de-institutionalized, therefore making us much more difficult to control. And control is what this has always been about. There is no other explanation for the threatening tone of the letter sent to residents. Members of the HPC have awakened to the horror that those of us who live in Ocean Grove have decided - on our own - to help beautify the community. Most don't want or need their help or approval and they simply can't comprehend it. Someone has dared to tell the Emperor he has no clothes!

With the myriad challenges facing Ocean Grove in the next few years, it is remarkable that these holier-than-thou knucke draggers would take the time to reverse what has been a decade or more worth of beautification. Surely there must be something more important for them to toil over. These improvements were not created or even proposed by the HPC nor by anyone associated with the town or church hierarchy. Rather these much improved "strips" between the sidewalk and the street have been the inspiration of residents. Had we waited for anyone associated with the town or the church, the streets would look much the way they did 20 years ago - desolate, dirty and crumbling.

Surely they understand that the color, creativity and life these homemade gardens bring to the streets only help their mission of attracting even more people to come spend money on "God's Square Mile." To put it another way, if we assume 10,000 Ocean Grove residents, then the cost of postage alone was over $4,000. Imagine the ways that money could have been spent beautifying the town.

It is news to most of us to learn the Historical Preservation Committee has the power to threaten, issue and enforce fines, not to mention public safety. If the HPC is interested in enforcing codes, they ought to work for Neptune. Better yet, they might try taking a stroll around town and thanking those taxpayers who have made their job easier and the town a much more enjoyable place to live and visit.

-Todd Goodman, Ocean Grove Resident

For the Record:

Despite the furor that has resulted from the letter sent by the HPC to every household in Ocean Grove, I for one wasn't outraged by the HPC's action -- I just thought they'd made a mistake (something any individual or public body will do at some time) by sending a general letter to every homeowner. The HPC has done much and continues to do much to keep the character of Ocean Grove as it is meant to be -- and to date has prevented it from becoming another Long Branch. I know I bought in town precisely because I felt it would remain pretty much the same during my lifetime and I suspect many other homeowners appreciate the historical character of the town. An individual doesn't have the clout to do so. We need an organization to help preserve that character, an organization that has some power to inhibit unwanted change. In Ocean Grove, that organization is the Historical Preservation Committee.

I believe the HPC's concerns about safety issues is legitimate. I have been hit on the head by tree branches I didn't see coming as I walked with a friend and have been scratched or forced to move off the sidewalk by pine tree limbs that block the way. I have thought that corn and tomatoes growing in the grassy strips were out of place. But there are also many strips that have been tastefully planted with low-growing flowering plants other than ivy, juniper, or grass. It is these people that I feel have a legitimate gripe --even though the code says plants in the strip should be limited to three species.

I respectfully suggest that the HPC can do three things to relieve the controversy. First, it can amend the grassy strip regulations to include low-growing ground covers or seasonal plants. A height limit might work as is now included in the code for the first two blocks and a list of exclusions rather than inclusions can be added in the amendment, for example farm crops, stone or cement strips and decorative hardscape.

Second, rather than send a general letter to all homeowners, the HPC can simply enforce the standing and/or amended regulations for both the grassy strips and for the flareback area on a case-by-case basis. Enforcement of the code will undoubtedly anger those individuals who are told to cease and desist, but probably will have the support of the rest of much of the rest of the community.

Third, I suggest that the HPC enforce the planting code for the grassy strips and the flareback areas in on a regular basis in the future without requiring a complaint to bring action. In the future, this will prevent the problem that exists now of having many people rather than a few who need to correct a mistake. A once-a-year run through town in the spring could provide notice allowing residents to bring their streetside landscapes into conformity with the code. A second run through a month later could cite those who have not corrected the error on their own.

I hope these suggestions add to a positive discussion of ways to end the fury that has resulted from a single, unfortunate letter and get beyond it.

Sincerely,
Pat Supplee, 11 Heck Avenue