By Allison Perrine
FORT HANCOCK – Plans to bring 90-plus apartment units, a gas station and bodega to historic Fort Hancock on Sandy Hook drew strong emotions from the 225-plus attendees of a public workshop on the leasing program Monday night.
Hosted by the National Park Service, the two-and-a-half-hour-long virtual meeting included an overview of the history of the area, plans going forward and input from visitors, elected officials and organization leaders. No decisions were made as this workshop was just the beginning of the conversation and community members still have plenty of time to give their input and attend future meetings on the topic.
Fort History
Sandy Hook is a part of Gateway National Recreation Area – itself a part of the National Park Service – that spans 27,000 acres in New Jersey and New York, including Jamaica Bay and Staten Island parks, beaches and decommissioned forts. Sandy Hook’s 7-mile-long peninsula is home to significant natural, cultural and recreational resources that draw over 2 million visitors each year, said Jennifer Nersesian, superintendent of Gateway National Recreation Area. The entire peninsula is a national historic landmark with ties to the American Revolution and throughout the military history of the country. It has about 110 significant historic buildings and 16 artillery batteries.
According to Nersesian, the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, which overlaps Fort Hancock, was established in 1874 as a place to test new weaponry. Known as the “Fortifications at Sandy Hook,” it was renamed Fort Hancock and later used as the U.S. Army’s permanent operational defensive fortifications from the Spanish-American War to the age of nuclear missiles, she continued.
“For years, the cost of maintaining this infrastructure has far outstripped our available resources. And as we’ve fallen behind, the deterioration has accrued,” said Nersesian. “It’s not unique to Gateway but is an issue all across the National Park Service that’s gotten a lot of national attention.” But at Gateway, there’s about $791 million in deferred maintenance, she said, according to the last official account in 2018. She estimated that about $100 million to $200 million is at Sandy Hook, which has many unoccupied buildings at Fort Hancock in disrepair.
In the early 2000s, the park began an initial leasing effort that was not transparent and
ultimately failed, said Nersesian. There was a lack of public involvement and rumors of privatization of the site which ultimately led to a lawsuit. “The NPS prevailed in court, but the project fell apart, and there was a lot of public mistrust… left in its wake.”
Learning from this, the Federal Advisory Committee was founded by the Secretary of the Interior, tasked with providing advice on the development of plans and future uses of the site at Fort Hancock. It is made up of local government officials and others with relevant expertise, she said. Over the past seven years they have held 35 public meetings which can be reviewed at forthancock21.org.
There are currently six buildings under long-term leases including building No. 21, used as a short-term residential rental; No. 53, a deli and sundries spot; No. 23, part of the Marine Academy of Science and Technology; No. 52, under construction as a residential duplex; No. 104, which will be used for residential and office use; and the Sandy Hook Chapel, often used for short-term leasing events like weddings.
“Today we have in place a rolling request for proposals, or RFP. This is not a highest bidder wins type of opportunity. The proposals are rated and selected along a variety of criteria,” said Nersesian. That includes compatibility of use, the applicant’s design and construction experience in historic preservation projects, the sustainability of the proposal, historic preservation goals and more.
Additionally, there are five buildings currently subject to Letters of Intent which are close to having new leases. That includes Nos. 24, 25, 36, 40 and 114, to be used for bar/restaurant and multiunit residential needs, event space, dining and lodging. The remaining buildings on the RFP have the potential to be redeveloped by New York City-based Stillman Development International (SDI) LLC DI, which proposes taking 16 buildings on Officer’s Row and four other buildings on the post and configuring them into 93 apartment units, said Nersesian.
Submitted Plans
SDI submitted its RFP to the National Parks Service Jan. 17. According to the proposal, the group’s goal is “to refurbish and protect the historic character of the buildings at Fort Hancock,” partly by preserving and restoring the buildings’ exterior elements and select historically significant interior elements. That includes the roofs, windows, facades, millwork, doors, tin ceilings, fireplaces and staircases. In total, the plan proposes 21 buildings totaling 107,252 square feet and approximately 93 apartment units.
“The definition of success for the project, as I see it, is one which begins with steady collaboration with the National Park Service and the public in order to achieve a common definition of success from a design and use perspective,” said Roy Stillman, founder and president of SDI. “These tasks will be accomplished while maintaining the artistic integrity of the exterior envelopes of the building using materials and style that best preserves and enhances the original artistic intent.”
Each building will house one-, two- and three-bedroom units, should the plans progress as submitted. SDI intends to offer one-year leases to bring year-round residential proponents to the property “with a stable cashflow and operation,” the proposal states. But the long-term leases “may end up being corporate apartments” with transient occupants, and short-term vacation rentals will also be explored. Occupants will have “expedited access” into Sandy Hook and parking will be provided along Kessler Road for residents only.
A gas station is also outlined in the plans for building No. 60, a 1,150-square-foot space, with a bodega-style facility with a liquor license “to support the various uses at Fort Hancock.”
“This is a project of great intrigue and interest to us,” said Stillman. The firm has experience in working on projects with historical significance and takes “pleasure in seeing a property go from a state of despair, disrepair, to its vitality,” he said.
Boston, Massachusetts-based Shawmut Construction estimated the construction costs of the project. After visiting various buildings at the site, its initial hard cost estimate to rehabilitate and convert the project was $260 per square foot, or $28 million in total, according to the proposal. The estimate was made assuming costs for gas, potable water, storm water, sewer, electric, cable and fiber optic lines “are provided by others to tap into and that this project will have access to NPS’ inventory of glazed brick,” it continues.
SDI plans to pursue a 20 percent historic tax credit through the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office but understands that there will be no property tax exemptions and taxes will be assessed by Monmouth County, the proposal states. The development will likely be constructed in phases and market rental demand will dictate the sizes of the units and terms of leasing. The minimum rent prices as determined by the Fair Market Value will be $2,100 a month, Lieutenant’s Quarters; $2,350 a month, Captain’s Quarters; and $500 a month, gas station. All other buildings are to be determined.
“The original intent of most of these buildings – all of them in Officer’s Row – were for residential occupancy and that is our plan. And so, there is a preservation of original intent in terms of the use. The distinction though is that these buildings were originally conceived, I believe 1895 to 1905… in the architectural style of neocolonialism and were typically occupied by two families each,” Stillman said, which created a lack of privacy. His project would adapt to more modern standards.
Nersesian noted that while future tenants of private residences would have free range to do what they wanted inside of their homes on Fort Hancock, the outsides will still be managed by the National Park Service. They do not have a say in what happens on the beaches or how the NPS is managing its natural areas.
Community Reaction
U.S. Rep. Frank J. Pallone Jr. (D-6), who has been involved with Sandy Hook for years, spoke out strongly against the plans submitted by SDI. He called Stillman’s proposal “the tipping point” that makes residential functions the primary use of the area and could lead to further development down the road.
“The way I see the national parks and national recreation areas is they were basically set up as a way of preserving these places from private development and private financial gain. Now I understand other parks do have overnight stays, as you do here, and some of them have permanent residents, but I don’t see that as a function of the national parks,” said Pallone. “My hope over the years was that these buildings would be occupied primarily by educational functions, by nonprofits – groups like Clean Ocean Action, the Littoral Society.
“The wholesale conversion of public lands and facilities to private residential use would alter the nature of Sandy Hook and would be antithetical to the National Park Service’s founding values and mission. Sandy Hook serves as an important place for my constituents and all who visit to learn about our nation’s military history, recreate and enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings,” Pallone said. “I am deeply concerned that the National Park Service’s plan would turn a significant portion of Sandy Hook into a place that only select permanent residents can enjoy. We must ensure that these places of beauty remain fully accessible to everyone.”
Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian Burry, an appointee to the Fort advisory committee, also spoke during the meeting but with a positive outlook on the plans. She said failure to move forward could bring consequences “that are both adverse and predictable.”
“With so much uncertainty in the market, we are truly fortunate to have found someone with the vision and courage to take on the great challenge that Fort Hancock represents,” said Burry. “To those who would say do nothing, I say that ‘do nothing’ is what has brought us to this brink. The continuation of passive neglect would be nothing less than dereliction of our duty. If there are better ideas with concrete proposals, they should be brought forth at this time. If there are not, then we should move ahead.”
Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, called Stillman’s proposal “outrageous,” “inorganic” and “artificial.” He said the project is “another example of our government giving away public land for private purposes.”
“The Sierra Club strongly opposes any effort on the part of the National Park Service to enter into a privatization contract. The 90-unit privatization proposal will mean more traffic, more pollution, and higher park admission fees,” said Tittel in a press release. “Instead of giving away our national heritage to private developers, we need to look at other alternatives that will help renovate Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook. We need to balance the interests of the public.” He added that the group’s biggest concern is if all of the buildings are leased out, public access could begin to be restricted. “Not everyone can afford to go to Yosemite National Park, but we can go to Sandy Hook.”
On the other hand, Tom Cassidy, vice president for government relations at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, spoke positively about the plan. “Our parks are for Americans but from the National Trust perspective, we think that the adaptive reuse of these buildings and the maintenance of the historic landscape promotes public use and enjoyment.”
The article originally appeared in the November 26 – December 2, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
