Fort Monmouth New Jersey

Fort plan OK'd despite housing advocate's suit

OCEANPORT — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has approved the Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan despite requests from a housing advocacy group to delay it.

According to the letter approving the plan from Mark Johnston, HUD’s deputy assistant secretary for special needs, to Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) Chair James Gorman dated June 16, Kevin Walsh of the Fair Share Housing Center, Cherry Hill, sent a letter to HUD in January requesting that it refrain from approving the plan until an investigation into alleged violations of law is completed.

Walsh also asked HUD to conduct a fair housing investigation.

“The department has carefully considered the requests and has concluded … to go forward with approval of the plan,” Johnston wrote.

“Further delay on the application will result in significant cost to the Army and potential costs to transferees,” Johnston wrote.

After the post’s closure on Sept. 15, Johnston wrote, the Army will take care of the property at an estimated cost of over $8 million per year until transfer into “private hands.”

However, Johnston wrote that HUD’s approval does not preclude the department from potentially pursuing a fair housing investigation.

HUD’s letter references the New Jersey Superior Court case from October between Walsh, the plaintiff, and FMERA.

The Fair Share Housing Center appealed the adoption of the Fort Monmouth Reuse and Redevelopment Plan in May 2010, arguing that it violated several state statutes, including failure to form a housing committee, which the court affirmed in October 2010.

“It is clear to HUD that the LRA [local redevelopment authority] failed to comply with some aspects of state law when developing the plan,” he wrote. “However, HUD is also aware that the unsettled state of New Jersey law on affordable housing substantially impedes the LRA’s ability to comply with that law.”

According to the letter, the plan met all requirements under HUD’s jurisdiction.

“HUD does not have plenary authority to judge all aspects of the plan or to enforce state and local law. The LRA satisfactorily complied with all the procedures and requirements that HUD does have authority to review,” Johnston wrote.

Fort Monmouth Bill Passes Senate | SenateNJ.com - New Jersey ...

Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande are pleased to announce that the bill permitting the mayors of Oceanport, Eatontown and Tinton Falls to designate a member of council to act on their behalf at meetings of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority has passed a vote by the State Senate late yesterday.

The law creating FMERA, which was signed into law last summer by Governor Christie, calls for the mayors to be permitted to designate an “employee” to act and vote on his or her behalf in case of their absence. Council members are not considered employees to the mayor, and therefore would not be included in this language.

“This is a common-sense amendment to the current law,” said Beck. “A member of council is an obvious choice to stand in for the mayor in the case he or she is unable to attend a meeting of the authority board. I am glad this change has been made before the end of this legislative session and so soon after the Fort Monmouth Redevelopment Plan has been approved by HUD [Housing and Urban Development] so we can really get moving on the work that needs to be done before Fort Monmouth’s gates come down in September.

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Fort Monmouth New Jersey 1986

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