Howard Commons will look better; plans to buy the rest of the land

By Coleen Burnett
At the latest Fort Monmouth Economic Redevelopment Authority meeting on October 15, the group addressed at least some of the questions Eatontown residents have concerning the blighted area of Howard Commons.
It is expected that another RFOTP (Request For Offers To Purchase) will be issued on the property within the next few months. Until that happens, the FMERA board has allocated $50,000 to improve the area and make it less of an eyesore.

Executive Director Bruce Steadman announced that they had contacted Jersey Central Power and Light to remove old lights and replace them with updated fixtures, put in security cameras, cut down the weeds that are at the base of the fencing, and install a screening fabric around the fence to discourage people from looking directly at the property.

In fact, by the time you read this, the screening should already be in place.

“I appreciate your cooperation with Howard Commons,” Mayor Gerald Tarantolo told the board.
But then the Mayor asked another question. Tarantolo has requested that the Monmouth County Board of Health come in and inspect the property to make sure the area is not a health hazard. The inspection was scheduled for October 21.
“In the event we find something, is FMERA prepared to take action?” he asked.
Steadman said that the group would work with the mayor to find solutions to any problems.
“We will find a way to put a plan together,” he assured Tarantolo.
In other news, FMERA announced that they are looking into using county funds to help buy the remainder of land on Fort Monmouth that they do not already control. Their goal is to buy the balance of properties by March of next year.
The property in question is approximately 563 acres, known as the Phase 2 area. FMERA must acquire the land before it can advertise its sale. The area includes the Main Post in Eatontown and Oceanport.
“To get from here to there, there are still are a number of issues and questions including financing that need to be resolved,” Steadman said. “As has been discussed, the county’s improvement authority is one avenue in order to accomplish that.” he said.
“The county would be helping to provide some notes or bonds, the interest for which FMERA would pay like a loan… nothing’s for free. The county would just be the conduit in that scenario but there are other {ideas} that are still being evaluated.”