By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
FORT MONMOUTH – At the first in-person meeting of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) in 26 months, the chairman’s seat was left vacant in honor of the late Robert Lucky of Fair Haven, who passed away March 10 at 86 while serving in that role. The monthly meeting at FMERA headquarters in the fort’s former library, also available via teleconference, was moderated by Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico, who led the assemblage in a moment of silence for Lucky, a leader in the 100-year-old fort’s redevelopment since its closure in 2011.
A new chairman had not been named as of press time. Officials were asked to submit names for consideration by the governor’s office. Interim chairmen will serve on a rotating basis, said Bruce Steadman, outgoing FMERA executive director.
Nurses Quarters
As reported March 31, changes to plans by RPM Development Group of Montclair to redevelop the fort’s former Nurses Quarters in Oceanport into new residences are currently in the hands of the three municipalities the fort spans – Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls – for a standard 45-day comment period ending May 18. The procedure allows planning boards an additional opportunity to provide input. Comments are then evaluated by staff and FMERA voting members before the revised plans are voted on.
Oceanport officials took the opportunity to further improve ingress and egress from Stephenson Avenue within the fort’s boundaries onto busy Main Street. The site currently shares a driveway with the AcuteCare facility next door.
“We made them shift the townhouses west to allow for a third lane coming out of the complex onto Main Street and widened the access point,” said Oceanport Borough Councilman Toom Tvrdik, who also serves on the planning board. “Other than that, we granted the variance.”
“They (RPM) amended their original requests substantially,” added Mayor Jay Coffey during a conference call with The Two River Times. “The borough had a lot of input. RPM came back and explained what they could and couldn’t do. It was hard to make a left onto Main Street. We wanted to make that easier. The planning board also added shade trees. It’s a nice plan.”
The Nurses Quarters buildings, built in 1962 on 3.75 acres, will be adaptively reused and converted into 34 residential units in a mix of 10 three- to four-bedroom owner-occupied townhomes, and 24 one- and two-bedroom rental apartments. Seven apartments will be designated affordable housing, subject to confirmation they satisfy RPM’s obligation to set aside 20 percent as low- and moderate-income affordable housing.
The developer will pay $2.15 million for the property and is expected to make a total capital investment of $6.69 million.
In a related development, RPM was granted an extension to its approval period to Jan. 14, 2023 by unanimous vote of the FMERA board. The new date will allow RPM to secure all approvals from the municipality, county, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and other agencies before closing. Those aspects of process have been delayed over the past two years for a number of projects due to the pandemic.
RPM previously purchased and renovated the fort’s former 100-year-old Officers Housing area into the East Gate residential project, completed about two years ago.
Wildlife Disrupts Power
On April 7, electrical power to the fort was interrupted for an hour when a nesting osprey caused a short on a utility pole. A temporary bypass of the pole is in place until after the nesting period, said Kristy Dantes, FMERA director of facilities and infrastructure. Six days later, sparks from another osprey nest on a high voltage pole started a brush fire along Anson Avenue at Oceanport Way. Oceanport and Eatontown fire departments responded, the fire was extinguished and the pole sustained minor damage.
Two days after that, a racoon “made contact” with electrical components and damaged a transformer. Jersey Central Power & Light had to turn off power from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 16 to make repairs.
“Despite expensive efforts to strengthen and harden our electrical system to protect it from animal encounters, the intrusions frequently result in unavoidable power outages and harm to wildlife,” Dantes said. “To date, in 2022, protection and damage cost 180 manhours and $8,252 in materials.”
Critters have caused about six fires on the fort recently. Steadman said FMERA is working with JCP&L regarding the installation of a new substation and distribution system which “will be better for residents.”
The article originally appeared in the May 12 – 18, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
