In all the debate surrounding the proposed North End Redevelopment, many have wondered and speculated as to just how and why the North End site, consisting of a one-time parking garage, an abandoned pool and parking lot, has deteriorated to the point it has. A report prepared for the Neptune Township Committee labels the North End a blighted area in need of redevelopment.

Considering that it’s almost entirely owned by essentially the largest landlord in town, the Camp Meeting Association, opponents to the proposal for redeveloping the site are also vigorously questioning why they have allowed it to become a blighted property.

The road that the North End has traveled to blight has been a long one, with more than a few twists and turns. As this story is being written, another chapter is also being added, with a wave of code violations for the North End having been issued as recently as this past week. The tale actually spans decades; as far back as 1989 the parking garage was condemned by Neptune Township.

Obviously, condemned in the 80s or not, the parking garage still stands. The question is “Why?”

One measure of how a property is judged to be blighted is by how many code violations it has received. By that measure, a Record investigation shows that the North End could reasonably be judged to be blighted - until May of 2005. That’s when it was determined in a settlement reached between a lawyer representing the Camp Meeting Association and township officials that the CMA was deemed to be in compliance with code standards.

No follow-up report from Code Enforcement, however, certifies that conclusion.

A June 16, 2005 hand-written notation in the property file for the North End site maintained by the office of Code Enforcement in the Neptune Township Municipal Complex says that seven summonses issued to the Camp Meeting Association by the Municipal Court were "Dismissed as per M.G. and Admin." with no fines, just $33.00 in court costs for each.

A corresponding letter in the file, written by Attorney Jennifer Krimko for the law firm of Ansell, Zaro, Grimm & Aaron to Township Business Administrator Philip Huhn states "Please allow this letter to confirm that as a result of the meeting last night with Committeeman Michael Golub and yourself, we have reached a settlement of the above referenced summonses. Since the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association is now in compliance with all the alleged violations, the township has agreed to dismiss all of the summones (sic). Therefore, I would ask that the township please contact the Municipal Court to confirm this matter has been resolved.

“On behalf of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, I would like to thank the Township for its cooperation, and particularly Committeeman Michael Golub for the seemingly unbounding energy with which he serves the Township. Certainly, such dedication to civic service should be recognized." - Dated, May 24, 2005.

The Township had initially inspected the North End property on August 25, 2004 and recorded numerous violations. A fence was deemed in need of repair, windows and doors on the garage were directed to be boarded up with half inch plywood or other approved material, and debris removed from various areas of the site - including a motor vehicle in the old pool.

But the main issue was the structural integrity of the parking garage, and the report directed that the building and roof be certified sound, and that proof that this was so be provided. In fact, Show Proof is underlined twice. It continues that if the structure is found safe, exterior walls should be repaired where broken or cracked.

Follow up inspections in September and October showed no significant progress toward addressing the violations - although the motor vehicle was removed from the pool, and some debris cleaned up.

At the bottom of all the reports it states that "If re-inspection discloses that violations have not been corrected, you will be subject to penalties of up to $1,000 per violation/per day, or otherwise authorized by ordinance."

They weren't all corrected. But no fines were levied.

On February 5, 2005 seven summonses were issued to the Camp Meeting Association by certified mail in care of David Shotwell, Sr. for the remaining violations, and the matter ended up in Municipal Court.

The summonses were disposed of in the aforementioned meeting cited by Ms. Krimko, and the fines waved as per the handwritten notation above. Ms. Krimko currently represents Wesley Atlantic Village Enterprises, LLC and their proposal for redeveloping the North End site.

No further reports by Code Enforcement after that date appear in the file, and the Record has not been able to determine on what information the settlement was reached.

Township Administrator Phillip Huhn said it would most likely have been based on Code Enforcement recommendations. Code Enforcement officer Robert Day, who wrote up the violations, says they passed out of his hands at that point, but perhaps director Joseph Vetrano, who represented the township in court, may be able to shed some light on the settlement. Vetrano is on vacation until February 19.

In the meantime, as noted above, new code violations have been issued for the property and will presumably soon be added to the Code Enforcement canon.

But after the ’05 settlement, Ocean Grove citizens have every reason to wonder if they carry any weight at all, considering the property went from getting a clean bill of health, with all financial penalties going by the boards, to becoming a blighted property per the 2007 report to the Committee.

In 2008, in light of the controversial proposal on the table to redevelop the North End site, residents may very well demand that Neptune Township – and the Camp Meeting Association - show them results – or the money.