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Privatization of Sandy Hook National Park
Quoted from appended article:
[... conservationists have questioned whether reuse of the historic Fort Hancock structures for commercial uses including a restaurant, pub, conference center and office space would be appropriate. ]
When the Presidio National Park commercialization / privatization demonstration was launched a few short years ago .... the big-green environmental community not only cheered for the developer --- they grabbed a big piece of the action for themselves. http://www.sfbg.com/News/32/02/Features/intro.html
Today, it is difficult to find any environmentalist (including those who helped the Presidio project happen), who will not decry that "demonstration" as an egregious attack upon the integrity of the National Park system at best, or as a crime against nature, at worst.
Today I learned of a new attack upon the National Park system that threatens to be every bit as a horrendous as the Presidio fiasco. What we are looking at is a 90 million dollar private, commercial, development within a National Park. And --- as far as I am aware --- none of the National Enviro groups have yet mounted a campaign to stop it !!!
It is through these private-development schemes that George Bush and Gale Norton intend to "fix" the National Park System. Bush, Norton and NPS Director Fran Mainella will, unless actively opposed, parcel out our shared heritage bit by bit and make it available to developers and to other commercial private interests.
WHO WILL STOP THEM!!??
Scott
PS... I've been contacted by New Jersey grassroots activists opposing this development. If you've suggestions, contacts, or ideas that will help them, please contact me ASAP. Thanks.
--- begin quoted ---
Public to
get look at plans for Hook Environmental assessment of Fort Hancock
plan to be released for comment
By gloria stravelli - Staff Writer
SANDY HOOK - The public could have access to information on the
environmental impact of a plan to redevelop part of historic Fort
Hancock on Sandy Hook as early as today.
According to Richard Wells, Sandy Hook deputy superintendent, the park
service plans to make available its 120-page Environmental Assessment
of the entire redevelopment planned at Fort Hancock, including the Fort
at Sandy Hook, a proposal for the adaptive reuse of 36 historic
buildings by a private developer, sometime between today and Tuesday.
Once the environmental assessment becomes available, the public has 30
days in which to comment before the agreement with Sandy Hook Partners,
based on Sandy Hook, can be finalized.
The assessment will be posted on two Web sites and will be available in
print format at libraries and at the National Park Service headquarters
on Sandy Hook.
It is also available at the Greater Media Newspapers Web site: www.gmnews.com.
Information about the environmental assessment of the proposal by Sandy
Hook Partners, which has signed a letter of intent with the park
service for a 60-year lease of 36 properties, including 17 of the 19
Officers Row buildings, has been unavailable to the public because the
National Park Service Web site has not been operational for several
months.
Under pressure to make the information available to the public, the
park service has arranged to have the environmental assessment posted
on two hosting Web sites as early as today. The Web sites are
www.littoralsociety.org, the Web site for the American Littoral
Society, Sandy Hook; and www.njparksandforestry.org, the Web site for
the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection and Energy, Division of
Parks and Forestry.
Print copies will be available to read at local libraries and municipal
buildings and at public buildings and park service headquarters on
Sandy Hook.
Copies may be obtained for $5 at the Office of the Superintendent of
Gateway National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook, 589 Magruder Road, Fort
Hancock, or by mail by writing to Superintendent, Sandy Hook, P.O. Box
530, Magruder Road, Fort Hancock, NJ 07732.
According to Wells, the park service will also distribute 4,000
informational flyers about the plan and will place advertisements about
the project in local newspapers.
Park staff will also be available to talk to local groups about the
redevelopment project. Presentations can be scheduled by contacting the
office of the superintendent at (732) 872-5910.
Wells said the park service plans to hold one or two open houses during
which the public can tour some of the buildings proposed for
redevelopment, see the Sandy Hook Partners' plan, discuss the project
with park officials and make oral or written comments.
The environmental assessment focuses on the environmental impact of the
park service plan for the adaptive reuse of Fort Hancock and the Sandy
Hook Proving Ground, referred to by the service as Fort Hancock Gateway
Village, including the portion to be redeveloped privately, Wells said.
The assessment by the park service focuses on the impact on the Sandy
Hook environment of plans to rehabilitate a total of 97 buildings by
the park service, nonprofit educational and environmental organizations
headquartered on Sandy Hook and Sandy Hook Partners. In addition, the
park service plans to construct two new buildings.
In November, the National Park Service signed a letter of intent to lease 36 buildings at Fort Hancock to Sandy Hook Partners.
The private developer has made a commitment to secure $80 million to
$90 million in financing for the Fort at Sandy Hook and tenants for the
buildings.
According to the park service, the project will be divided among commercial, educational and environmental uses.
Environmental groups have expressed concern over the impact of the project on the fragile Sandy Hook ecosystem.
Additionally, conservationists have questioned whether reuse of the
historic Fort Hancock structures for commercial uses including a
restaurant, pub, conference center and office space would be
appropriate.
The park service maintains it does not have the funding to preserve the
deteriorating buildings and that private funds are the only way to save
the historic structures.
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