By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
FORT MONMOUTH – Oceanport asked Netflix for a town hall for Christmas. The borough could get it for Easter.
In a farewell address during the Dec. 20 meeting of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA), outgoing Oceanport Mayor Jay Coffey, a longtime voting member, summarized local concerns over plans for the proposed Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth slated for almost 300 acres of the former U.S. Army base within portions of Eatontown and Oceanport.
Citing potential effects on those in closest proximity to the complex, Coffey said, “I am inviting Netflix representatives to a town hall meeting in Oceanport in January… so that we can have an honest, open and public discussion about the most important issue in Oceanport’s history and, hopefully, after Netflix turns the unknowns into knowns, gain a collective sense of how Oceanport’s future will look with Netflix in it.” Contacted the next day, a source with knowledge of the matter who requested anonymity did not reject the proposal, but indicated Netflix will likely follow established FMERA procedures applicable to all redevelopers, saying it “would be premature to hold such a forum until Amendment #20 is approved.” Reuse Plan Amendment #20 refers to Netflix’s 137-page “master plan” presented in October detailing specifics of the 12-soundstage production studio.
If the project proceeds to completion, Netflix will become Oceanport’s single largest private landowner and taxpayer, Coffey noted. His comments coincided with the end of a required 45-day public comment period on Amendment #20, during which the three towns’ (Fort Monmouth also covers portions of Tinton Falls) professionals and residents weighed in. That data is now being reviewed and assessed by FMERA staff, who will respond to each when they return the amendment to the board for a vote, expected during the first quarter of 2024.
“Any meetings or presentations (with Netflix) would be at the discretion of the developer, without participation by FMERA,” said Sarah Giberson, FMERA real estate development and marketing director. “FMERA’s position is that the Authority utilizes the 45-day public comment period for public comments.”
“Most of our concerns and comments center around setbacks, building height, lighting, signage, traffic and the overall impact these issues will have on the quality of life of our two small communities,” Coffey, an attorney, said, adding “both substantial and substantive” comment letters were provided by the borough’s planner, planning board and residents. “All highlight specific, genuine concerns about what Netflix would be permitted to build if Reuse Plan Amendment #20 were to pass as is. Nobody knows what par is for this course.”
Several Oceanport residents spoke at the meeting, most from the Horseneck Point and Riverside Avenue area that will be directly across Oceanport Avenue from Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth. Speakers were largely unopposed to the project but echoed Coffey’s depiction of the “unknowns,” including future use of public roads and potential stress on local emergency services.
Coffey said local officials will negotiate to ensure services “aren’t overwhelmed” and noted, “Netflix will be under a lot of restrictions because of where the property is located. If the Army stayed here, we’d have no say over future development.”
Coffey wants to know “when, where, and how” Netflix will begin developing the property once closing occurs. Should the remainder of the approval process conclude successfully, closing has been estimated for 2025. FMERA contractually establishes timelines and construction deadlines with options for extensions for all fort redevelopments. Officials have said completion of Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth could occur seven to 10 years after closing.
If Amendment #20 is approved in the coming weeks, the next step would see Netflix begin a new 36-month approval period involving extensive reviews by numerous local, county and state agencies and authorities.
“We’re 100 percent in favor of Netflix coming here but we must get this done the right way,” Coffey stressed. “What we have is a framework. A lot of hard work remains. Oceanport’s governing body does not want the pursuit of the perfect to be the enemy of achieving something good, and we have no doubt that the redevelopment of the Mega Parcel by Netflix has the potential to be a very good thing.”
Coffey said he requested the town hall because he believes so far Netflix has kept its distance from the “stakeholder municipalities. I’m imploring Netflix to forge a tangible relationship with them.”
Coffey, who opted not to run for another term, ended his time as mayor Dec. 31. He served as the borough’s representative on FMERA, as do the mayors of Eatontown and Tinton Falls, since 2016.
The federal government ordered the 100-year-old military installation shuttered in 2005. The base closed its doors in 2011 as FMERA embarked on a path toward redevelopment. Fort Monmouth now has about 86 percent of its 1,126 acres sold, under contract, in negotiations, or entering the request for proposals process. To date, FMERA has sold 34 parcels. Another seven parcels are under contract or have board-approved contracts. Myriad new businesses are operating and new and refurbished residential units are filled and continue to be built.
Fond Farewells
Dec. 20 was also the last FMERA meeting for long-time Monmouth County Commissioner Lillian Burry of Colts Neck, who retired from public life Dec. 31 after 53 years as an elected official. Speakers lauded her pioneering accomplishments in Matawan, Colts Neck and throughout Monmouth County, including over a decade helping guide the future of Fort Monmouth.
Burry was responsible for procuring the fort’s Motor Pool for the county’s public works department and its Early Childhood Learning Center for public use as a regional recreational facility now serving thousands year-round. She was also instrumental in bringing a Soldier On community for homeless veterans to a nearby site in Tinton Falls when space on the fort could not be found.
Both Burry and Coffey were presented with American flags that flew over the fort’s 1,126 acres, along with commemorative resolutions and proclamations. They were thanked profusely for their service by local, county and state officials.
The article originally appeared in the January 4 – January 10, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
