By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
EATONTOWN – By unanimous vote Monday night, the Eatontown Planning Board joined Oceanport in approving the first phase of Netflix’s planned production studio complex on 292 acres of Fort Monmouth.
Known as Phase 1A, Netflix’s first construction site is a 39-acre parcel, most of it in Oceanport, including the former McAfee Center, which will be renovated and expanded. The fort’s former bowling alley, located within Eatontown’s borders, is also part of the parcel. That building will be demolished to make way for a stormwater retention basin. Eatontown’s Planning Board vote granted preliminary site plan approval for that portion only, with conditions.
Echoing discussion during two Oceanport Planning and Zoning Board meetings on Phase 1A in November, Eatontown’s members focused on hours of operation, traffic, landscaping and aesthetics of the studios’ perimeter wall with Netflix’s planning professionals.
The perimeter security wall, which will be 8 to 10 feet tall, will feature four different design styles, including solid concrete panels. Netflix’s experts testified that visual “thematic elements” will be added to some wall portions honoring the fort’s 100-year history. Eatontown’s Planning Board members, including Mayor Anthony Talerico, want to see and approve those in advance.
“The concessions made in Oceanport may not be the same in Eatontown,” Talerico said. “You’re showing us Oceanport pictures. These are beautiful pictures in another town. We don’t want to see what’s been approved elsewhere. We want to see Eatontown pictures.”
Members also took issue with Netflix’s exhibits showing older versions of the main gate at Wilson Avenue along Route 537 (Avenue of Memories through the fort), asking for new renderings.
As a condition of approval, Talerico wanted assurances that streetlights and landscaping would be uniform throughout Eatontown and Oceanport and not be changed after approval. Although the 1,126-acre Fort Monmouth encompasses portions of Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls, Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth covers parts of Eatontown and Oceanport only.
Attorney Lisa John-Basta of Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi Law of Roseland, who moderated the testimony for Netflix, said the historic “moments” on the perimeter wall have not yet been designed.
“As a practice, the board doesn’t approve something sight unseen,” said planning board attorney Marc A. Leckstein. “The board has some say on it. They (Netflix’s planners) have offered to come back and show us. Let’s take them up on that.”
Kenneth Falcon, Netflix’s senior manager for Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth, reiterated the planned 12-soundstage production studio “is not an amusement park. It’s a secure facility where the general public does not come in.”
Regarding the historic moments, he added, “We really want to get it right. It’s not a painting or a mural. We will show you what it looks like.”
Netflix is expected to close on the property within two years, with buildout projected at seven to 10 years after that. When fully operational, it’s estimated that 1,800 vehicles will enter and exit the property every 24 hours. Netflix is working with the county and state to widen, modernize and improve roads in and around the complex.
John-Basta acknowledged the studio will operate 24 hours a day but said the bulk of activity will occur between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. Falcon added that studio operations will comply with state and local guidelines regarding lighting and sound.
The Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), the state agency overseeing the fort’s redevelopment, governs usages and previously approved Netflix’s master plan. The host municipalities govern site plan and variance issues, while Monmouth County oversees county roads like Route 537. Other state approvals are also pending, including from the Department of Environmental Protection. Chris Cirrotti, a civil engineer for Langan Engineering, testified that “a series of best management practices will treat for water quality and roadway run-off.” The basins will be maintained by Netflix, he added.
“We are pleased that the Eatontown Planning Board sanctioned plans for Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth’s first phase, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with local officials and the community to bring this studio to life,” said a Netflix spokesperson after the vote.
Once completed, Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth will have four soundstages in Oceanport at the McAfee parcel and eight in Eatontown. Netflix representatives will return to the borough with their complete plan for the Eatontown portion this summer. At that time, they will present a formal package showing the historic moments for the perimeter wall and more.
“We are glad progress is moving along and are looking forward to seeing the full application in the summer,” Talerico said.
The article originally appeared in the December 19 – December 25, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
