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- Governor Chris Christie signed legislation establishing a revitalization planning authority for Fort Monmouth last Tuesday. Photo by Layli Whyte
Christie Signs Fort Legislation
By John Burton
FORT MONMOUTH - After much wrangling, debate and consternation on the part of some of the stakeholders, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation Tuesday establishing the implementation authority that will shepherd the redevelopment process for Fort Monmouth.
With the fort's eminent closing, Christie this week in a released statement said, "it is vital that State and local leaders are prepared with a comprehensive, long-term plan to ensure that economic continuity, stability and growth are maintained for the regions effected by the closure."
Both legislative chambers passed the bills in late June establishing the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), which, now with the Governor's signature, replaces the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority (FMERPA), which had worked to establish a working plan for the long-term goals for redeveloping the 1,126 acres of Eatontown, Tinton Falls and Oceanport property that had been controlled by the U.S. Army and Department of Defense for more than 90 years.
The master plan calls for the site to be developed for a variety of uses including retail and other commercial business, residential, passive and active recreation areas for area residents, and with hopes that high-tech industries would be encouraged to locate here, taking advantage of the available infrastructure left by the Army, and bring with them those high-tech-and high paying jobs.
When the Congress and then President George W. Bush signed off on the list of base closings, as federal cost saving measures, there was fear locally that the loss of civilian contracting and government jobs would have a profound effect of the economies of the region and the state when military operations ceased in September 2011 and with state officials establishing FMERPA to plan ahead for the rebound.
The Army and Department of Defense are in the process of relocating Fort Monmouth's research and development and communications operations to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
The new authority will have a total of 13 members, nine of them voting members, which will take the plan now and move forward in laying the groundwork for its future.
When first offered late last year by state Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20), the proposed legislation caused concern with the mayors of the three host communities and with Monmouth County Freeholder Director Lillian Burry who feared the loss of local control in the decision making progress.
Since then, the bills had been reworked with Senator Jennifer Beck (R-12) and Assembly members Declan O'Scanlon and Caroline Casagrande here in Monmouth County, advocating for the inclusion of 40 amendments to the bills allowing for more say by local.
Now five of the nine voting authority members, who include the three host community's mayors, will have to be from Monmouth County and the host communities' zoning and planning boards will have a stronger say in the development process.
This law and its subsequent authority will make, "the future economic success of Monmouth County a priority, as it should be," O'Scanlon said in a released statement.
But an Oceanport elected officials, including the Borough Council President Joseph Irace had continued to express reservations on the authority as well as the redevelopment plan would mean for his municipality.
Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo, on the other hand, on Tuesday offered his support for the bill and the future. "It's a positive step forward," he said. His only criticism is that, "We should have taken this step a year ago," as Trenton failed to act in a timelier manner.
FMERPA had approved its redevelopment plan in 2008, but by statute the new authority was needed to begin the process. However, federal officials, who are currently reviewing the master plan, have yet to render a decision.
This Wednesday FMERPA was scheduled to hold its last meeting, at the Eatontown Borough Hall, Tarantolo said.
