Many events are uncertain, but the car shows are definitely continuing.
FLEMINGTON -- The Central Jersey Jazz Festival is moving its Flemington concert to the county's Deer Path Park in Readington this year.
Mayor Phil Greiner called the move a big loss for the borough.
"Our Main Street restaurants have consistently told us these large events are important to their business," Greiner said on Friday. "They rallied for Music on Main to stay on Main Street."
That Music on Main series is now uncertain, he said, along with the Thursday Night Lights series. "Virtually all the events are up in the air at this point, except for the car shows, which are under the direction of Ron Van Horn," Greiner said.
At the root of the issue is the council's de-designation of the BID.
A lot of things have been affected by the de-designation, Greiner said. "We've not been able to move forward with the branding proposal," he said. In October, consultant Roger Brooks proposed a vision for the borough's future to set it apart from other towns and attract visitors. That concept is healthy, creative and playful living, or "Flemington Fresh."
Also, "we've been collecting money from businesses in the district, and they haven't been getting anything for that investment," Greiner said.
Flemington's new BID recruits board members
A new Flemington Community Partnership is forming and is in the process of developing a budget to be approved as early as June. Long-term goals include branching out of events-focused planning, looking to Jack Cust's redevelopment plan for the Union Hotel area as a way to bring in businesses and researching ways to implement Brooks' branding strategy.
In the meantime, no decision has yet been made about what happens to the estimated $156,000 remaining from 2015 surplus and revenue in the old BID's account.
The old BID still has eight board members, enough for a quorum, and they met Wednesday night, Greiner said. "The topic of returning the funds was discussed, but no decision was reached," Greiner said. "The borough feels the money should be returned to the borough, but the BID feels it wants to continue offering events."
"We've been trying to figure out a way we can all work together," said Roseanna DiMarzio, who sits on the BID's executive board. "It's all about Flemington, not who we are."
With the BID de-designated, it no longer has the authority to plan events in Flemington. But the BID's members would like to keep working on events, she said, in cooperation with the new Flemington Community Partnership.
Music on Main has always been the borough's project, she said, but the BID developed Thursday Night Lights, and "we'd love to make that happen," DiMarzio said. "If we can come to a happy medium and work together, that's best for everyone."
Reacting to the Central Jersey Jazz Festival move, Freeholder Rob Walton said he found it "disappointing we didn't at least encourage the event to try to stay in Flemington."
"Flemington is central to the CEDS efforts," Walton said, referring to the county's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.
He said the situation argues for a point he repeatedly makes: "The politics should be put aside," he said. "If you look at Hunterdon County as one community, then when Flemington suffers, the county suffers. When Hampton suffers, when West Amwell suffers, so does the county."
He'd like to see economic development organizations independent from government. "When you put economic development efforts in the hands of government officials, then politics gets in the way," he said. "I think everyone is sincere, but there are other agendas that are interfering with the goal of economic development and that's unfortunate."
Beatles music at Deer Path Park
The disruption in Flemington was mentioned in a letter from the Central Jersey Jazz Festival to Freeholders, asking for permission to extend the hours at Deer Path Park, seek donations for parking, and sell alcoholic beverages at the festival, set for Friday, Sept. 16.
But the major factor in moving the festival was the size of the venue, said Bob Junge of the Rotary Club of North Hunterdon. Three Rotary Clubs in Hunterdon -- the North Hunterdon club, Clinton Sunrise Rotary and the Rotary's online E Club -- have worked at the Central Jersey Jazz Festival since it expanded to Flemington in 2014.
"We've been looking for bigger exposure," he said. "And it was almost outgrowing the area it was in." He's been to Deer Path Park for the annual "Music Under the Stars" series, and said it offers the opportunity for the festival to expand.
Freeholder Director Suzanne Lagay said Friday that people can view the festival's move as a loss to Flemington, or as a victory for the county. "It's a massive undertaking," she said Friday.
"I'm not sure we could have pulled it off in Flemington this year," she said. "If we lost it even for one year, it would be really hard to get it back. Keeping it in Hunterdon County, and bringing in the younger visiting crowd, is the best solution for now," she said.
Sallie Graziano may be reached at sgraziano@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SallieGraziano. Find The Hunterdon County Democrat on Facebook.