Kimley-Horn: Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association Launches Parking Study to Develop Long-Term Improvements
Kimley-Horn: Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association Launches Parking Study to Develop Long-Term Improvements
OCEAN GROVE, NJ – The Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association (OGCMA) has retained anational parking expert to mitigate parking congestion in the beachfront community.
The national firm, Kimley-Horn, will identify issues and develop workable parking options informed by fieldobservation and industry best practice. Parking experts will be analyzing parking fluctuations as the town accommodates visitors and service trades over the peak summer months, as well as how to best handle influxes within Ocean Grove.
The consulting firm, with local offices in Princeton and Hoboken, will consider the impact of OG parking availability on the entire town of Neptune. The study will specifically address zones such as the northeast corner that abuts Asbury Park, the Main Ave shopping corridor, beachfront, and area surrounding the Great Auditorium. Targeted solutions may be suggested for various neighborhoods, as a “once-size-fits-all” strategy may not be a sustainable solution.
“This study is not being done with any pre-conceived solutions,” explained OGCMA President Mike Badger. “The Association is deeply concerned about the struggles people are having. My hope is to make improvements which will benefit everyone.”
“This team of parking professionals will be analyzing the parking situation this winter and evaluate how it evolves as we move into the summer months,” he said. “Kimley-Horn is approaching this project as a clean slate, and will build their recommendations based on their direct experience working in other communities around the country who have sharedsimilar parking issues as Ocean Grove.”
A key part of the project scope is community engagement. OGCMA will be conducting public workshops to glean information and ensure any recommendations take into account the needs of various constituencies. For example, it is important that any recommendations do not negatively affect the local hotels or merchants who rely on summer tourism to maintain a vibrant business center.
Badger said he has informed Neptune Mayor Robert Lane, Jr. about the ongoing parking study and has pledged to keep township officials informed of the process, as well as public opportunities to provide comment and participate.
Kimley-Horn will also be providing comment on an informal community proposal that would create residential parking permits. The firm will analyze the feasibility and benefits of such a proposal, as well as “order-of-magnitude” cost estimates to sustain it. OGCMA has provided Kimley-Horn with previous parking recommendations.
Kimley-Horn will provide an assessment of additional spaces that could be added to the current parking inventory based upon granting access to currently-underused land and reconfiguring to diagonal spaces for specific areas. The firm will provide concept functional design diagrams to show expanded parking, if applicable.
“Nothing is off the table,” Badger said. “We are very open to see what can be learned through expert technical analysis. This study is a substantial investment for us. But we believe this professional guidance is needed. We look forward to having the community play a key role in the process and sharing the results for all to consider.”