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Fort Hancock rehabilitation to meet federal mandatePosted by the Asbury Park Press on 10/18/06BY MICHAEL W. HUBER After I read the Oct. 3 editorial "Shifting sands at Fort Hancock," I must correct statements in it that seem to be based on the false information being spread by opponents of the Fort Hancock rehabilitation project. The editorial leaves the impression that the project was not started for six years after the selection of Sandy Hook Partners because they did not immediately engage a financial backer. In fact, the lease with Sandy Hook Partners was not signed until 2004, two years ago. Much of the delay was due to necessary government reviews that included a thorough environmental assessment, traffic studies and multiple public comment periods. Time was also lost when opponents of the project filed complaints about the entire leasing process. These complaints were found to be without merit by the General Accountability Office and the Department of the Interior's inspector general and, more recently, by the federal court in the lawsuit brought by Save Sandy Hook, the group that opposes the lease. Since the lease was executed in July 2004, it has been extended three times due to the lawsuit filed by Save Sandy Hook. Any business person would agree that no financial institution would fund the project while the lease was being challenged in court. This bar to financing the project seems to have been removed, unless Save Sandy Hook is successful in appealing the court ruling. The editorial stated that in the unlikely event that Sandy Hook Partners should default on their loan in the future, the lender should not be able to operate the property under the terms of the lease. Since the buildings at Fort Hancock remain public property, the lease itself is the only asset that secures the loan. If Palisades Financial, or any other lender, did not have the ability to recover its loan, no loan would be possible. For example, no bank would issue a home mortgage if that loan were not secured. The ability to assign a lease is normal business practice, a fact known to everyone who has receivd a loan or a home mortgage. The editorial suggested that the Fort Hancock Rehabilitation and Adaptive Reuse Project might not meet the National Park Service mission. The mission is to "protect the natural, and cultural features of the national parks for public use and enjoyment" in a manner that leaves them unimpaired for future generations. The Park Service is following the dictates of the Preserve America Executive Order 13287 in choosing a private entity to carry out the rehabilitation work. The rehabilitation and reuse program for the Fort Hancock buildings must conform to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Reuse. The editorial raised the issue of public access. Today, public access to the Fort Hancock area is available only by driving or strolling around, to look with sadness at some crumbling historic structures. Rehabilitation will open the buildings to use by public and private entities whose members are certainly part of the "public," and will open a number of them to the general public to see them as they were when used in the past. Parking on Sandy Hook is limited by the General Management Plan. The Park Service is reconfiguring parking to make some of the parking in the Fort Hancock area more convenient for beachgoers, and is providing summer shuttle service to make the most popular beaches more accessible from some more remote parking areas. Since Fort Hancock as it exists today will not be changed or added to, access to the natural areas for activities like birding, hiking or fishing will be unchanged from their availability today. It is time to move on and bring the historic buildings of Fort Hancock back to life by preserving them for future generations. Sandy Hook Partners' proposal to rehabilitate the buildings to create a campus devoted primarily to marine science, education, research and conferences, cultural arts, health and wellness, supported by limited hospitality facilities, will complement existing activities carried on by current users of building at Sandy Hook, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Marine Academy of Science & Technology, Brookdale Community College and others. It will be a great asset to the community, state and the nation. After all, it is ultimately about preserving an important piece of American heritage. Michael W. Huber, Middletown, is a trustee of the American Littoral Society, Sandy Hook. |
