By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
OCEANPORT – The June 19 meeting of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) marked the first time new residents living in redeveloped fort housing attended one of the agency’s public meetings, asked questions and made their voices heard.
A handful of homeowners at East Gate, the residential community in Oceanport created in renovated historic former Officers Row by RPM Development of Montclair, expressed concerns over future uses of the fort’s Parade Grounds directly across from their properties.
Bordered by the Avenue of Memories (Route 537) and Sherrill Avenue, the Parade Grounds, also known as Greeley Field, is located inside the fort’s Oceanport Avenue entrance. East Gate’s townhomes, duplexes and single-family residences, presented by RPM’s broker Coldwell Banker, began selling to new owners last year. Construction and sales of East Gate are ongoing.
While the field has been preserved as open space, it could be used by public or private entities for sports and special events, an aspect the residents said they were unaware of when they purchased their new homes. One resident who addressed the authority, Sandra Craig Barry, who paid nearly $800,000 for her East Gate home on Russell Avenue in February, said she heard a rumor Oceanport was buying the site for $1 and wanted to know if that was true.
“I’m concerned about parking and noise,” Barry said. “We were told the Parade Grounds are sacred ground and would never be developed. We were told it would be so quiet.”
“One reason I bought my home was because I thought Monmouth County Parks would maintain it and I love the Monmouth County Park System,” said resident Karen Bright. “I just learned this could be a soccer field.”
Bruce Steadman, FMERA executive director, addressed the residents as a group during the meeting and individually afterward.
“I can tell you there has been no decision made as to the ultimate disposition of Greeley Field; it will remain forever green but it was never perceived to remain unused,” Steadman explained. “The term, ‘sacred ground’ is not one in FMERA language. I never heard or had a discussion about selling the site for $1. No plan has been determined. That will happen within the next 12 months. It’s not on our list for this year; we have not addressed it yet.”
As reported by The Two River Times in July 2018, as part of the 100-year-old fort’s Historic District, the Parade Grounds cannot be developed. Last year Oceanport Mayor Jay Coffey, a voting FMERA member in his official capacity as mayor of one of the three towns the fort encompassed – Ea- tontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls – sent a letter to FMERA requesting transfer of the site to Oceanport. At the time, Steadman said the authority “receives a number of requests and letters from people seeking fort parcels. We review them in accordance with our Redevelopment Plan.”
Citing a need for more sports fields for local residents, Coffey called the site a “centerpiece” of Oceanport that should be serving borough youth and parents. The borough is relocating all municipal operations to an adjacent site on the fort.
“Oceanport has a very limited amount of green space like that and existing parks are not optimal for sports fields,” Coffey said, adding, “The Parade Grounds were used for athletic events when the Army was there and can be multipurpose. Those acres are part of Oceanport.”
“There are three options for Greeley Field,” Steadman said. “Negotiate a transaction with Oceanport, negotiate a transaction with the county, or put it out to bid for a private entity. It’s an active and passive space; a great place for events.” He said FMERA, when putting the parcel out to bid, would do so via the Request for Offers to Purchase process and look for a prospective buyer to take ownership.
“There would be stipulations such as maintenance,” Steadman elaborated. “For instance, they would have to rotate use to protect the grass and there would have to be a way for the borough to lease or rent space. But that’s a big ‘if.’ We have talked to several groups who do this successfully around the country. Such uses are quite common elsewhere in the United States, hosting youth and family events.”
Steadman encouraged the residents to address their concerns with Oceanport’s municipal government, as well as Monmouth County, which owns and maintains the Avenue of Memories and Sherrill Avenue through the fort.
