Public weighs in on future of Ft. Monmouth Special interests, homeless, veterans among concerns BY LORI ANNE OLIWA Correspondent West Long Branch - - Monmouth University in West Long Branch played host to several hundred people last week who attended the first public forum of the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Planning Authority (FMERPA). Many attendees were there to advocate for causes and issues - affordable housing; land conservation; veterans' rights; environmental stewardship; and historical preservation. One member of the audience, who identified herself as an Oceanport resident, expressed concern about competing interests. "How will you ensure that competing interests won't ruin the quality of life for people in the community," she asked. "There will be no sell-out," stated FMERPA Executive Director Frank C. Cosentino. "Trust is everything." Gerald Tarantolo, mayor of Eatontown, also responded. "Discussions between all three towns affected have been ongoing. We are going to approach this issue on a regional basis and share ratables, education and affordable housing," he said. Another member of the audience wanted to know if the homeless would continue to be housed and if veterans would continue to receive medical care. Cosentino explained that the mandate to leave will take place in 2011, "but for the foreseeable future, these services will continue." Robert Lucky, who chairs the authority, explained that the 10- member board is charged with creating a master redevelopment plan by Dec. 8 of this year. "The deadline for the master plan is Dec. 8, but the purpose of tonight is to fill all of you in on the process and to get your input," he said. Lucky was quick to dispel myths about the authority, the scope of its power, and its members, who he said are volunteers with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "FMERPA is like a planning board. We determine the use of the land but do not own it. The Army does," he said. EDAW, a global land-use consulting company, was selected by the authority in April to prepare the master reuse and redevelopment plan and was present at the forum. Tim Delorm, an EDAW principal, explained that the firm has engaged a group of associated professionals and companies in the planning process. "EDAW has assembled a team of associates with specialized knowledge in key elements that will factor into the plan," he said. Delorm emphasized that issues of traffic flow, historic preservation, environmental impact, socioeconomic return and transportation efficiency are already being addressed by team members. "Traffic counts have started already and we have begun to map environmentally-sensitive areas like flood plains and landfill," he said. Delorm also mentioned the historic structures on the fort and said that discussions relating to their reuse are ongoing. "We are taking and discussing ideas," he stated. Throughout the forum, the most repeated words were "public participation." Attendees wondered aloud just how their opinions would be measured, what would happen to their ideas, and who would be interpreting the information. That question was answered in short order by Tony Nelessen, a community participation expert whose company, A. Nelessen Associates, has been retained to employ a tool called the Visual Preference Survey. According to Nelessen, the survey is scientific in nature and is used to determine how appropriate or inappropriate an image is. "We will provide a range of 80 to 120 images in 10 to 14 different categories, and then ask people to rate the images on a scale of plus 10 to minus 10," Nelessen said. He added, "Everyone reacts to images. My job is to compile the statistics and extract what the collective positive image is." Nelessen explained that the images shown will relate to various aspects of the project including parking, signage, buildings, architecture, parking lots, streets, commercial/office space, parks, landscaping, etc. At the forum, a questionnaire was distributed which asked what people liked and disliked most about the fort and what they foresaw as long and short-term goals of the redevelopment. The questionnaires and surveys will be administered at all future FMERPA community workshops which have been scheduled in the three affected towns surrounding Fort Monmouth - Eatontown, Oceanport and Tinton Falls. There will be one additional countywide workshop. Information regarding the dates and times of the workshops can be found on the FMERPA Web site, www.fmerpa.state.nj. us.