By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
FORT MONMOUTH – A new county park and a public safety use for an empty firehouse, both in Tinton Falls, advanced at the April 17 meeting of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA).
New Passive Park Coming
A 23.78-acre tract on Fort Monmouth known as the Wetlands Preservation Area on the Woodland Parcel is on track to be sold to Monmouth County for passive open space and recreation uses.
The property is bounded by Hope Road, the fort’s former Fabrication Shops, Laboratory Road and the Anthem Place residential development. Through a measure unanimously passed by the authority, Monmouth County will pay $63,000 for the site, which can include an approved boardwalk and walking path.
The discounted price was reached through a Local Beneficial Use transaction after the site was appraised at $90,000. The county’s proposal was reviewed and scored by FMERA professional staff using approved criteria, earning a 30 percent discount. The parcel will be conveyed as-is, subject to the U.S. Army’s ongoing environmental remediation obligations regarding pre-existing contamination. The Army owned and operated the fort for almost 100 years until it closed in 2011.
According to the purchase and sale agreement, the county is “responsible for replacement, repair, maintenance and relocation of utilities… subject to FMERA’s review and approval.” The county will invest approximately $5,000 for improvements. Utilities are not anticipated, but electric service will be coordinated with Jersey Central Power & Light if required.
An updated survey is needed to delineate the acreage. The next step is for the county to undertake a due diligence period to examine the site; it has asked for time extensions for that aspect.
“As the county is moving forward in good faith, FMERA staff supports the agreement and a 90-day extension to the due diligence period,” staff wrote in the recommending passage. Closing should occur within 30 days after completion of due diligence.
Commvault to Sell Charles Wood Fire Station
Fort Monmouth’s vacant Charles Wood Fire Station on Corregidor Road – and the 2.3-acre parcel it occupies – is headed for public safety use.
Commvault, the data and cloud management company that was the first to build an all-new structure on the former U.S. Army base, opened in 2014. It purchased the fire station in 2018, intending to use it for office and employee recreational space. The pandemic changed those plans.
During the April 17 meeting, FMERA unanimously approved a change in use enabling Commvault to sell the circa 2001 fire station “to support the surrounding community,” as per FMERA documents. The change is consistent with the authority’s land use plan.
“Our board action modified the scope of the project so that it could be built out for future use as an emergency services location,” said Sarah Giberson, FMERA director of real estate development and marketing. The 10,070-square-foot one-story facility houses three bays, offices, bedrooms, a day room and a kitchen.
In requesting the modification, the firm cited the adverse impact of COVID-19 on its office requirements, which resulted in a significant decrease in the number of employees working at the headquarters and a corresponding lack of need for additional space.
FMERA said it “wishes to encourage the redevelopment of the property for the benefit of the community and local economy,” so staff supported the change, permitting Commvault to enter into an agreement with a third party to use the facility as long as it fits local zoning.
In January 2023, Commvault also notified FMERA that it was seeking to sell its four-story, 275,000-squarefoot glass headquarters on 55 acres, with plans to lease back space for a reduced presence there.
Giberson said Commvault’s main headquarters building was a separate project and the sales process with FMERA is complete, which clears the way for the company to sell it. The fire station is under another contract that is not considered complete and remains ongoing. Commvault is not permitted to sell, lease or transfer the fire station until it receives a certificate of completion.
A public relations representative for Commvault said they would respond to questions from The Two River Times about the headquarters sale but did not reply by press time.
The article originally appeared in the May 2 – May 8, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
