[CPEO-IRF] Involvement at Ft. Monmouth (NJ) "crucial"

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Community involvement crucial to fort's future

BY TIM DELORM
Asbury Park Press (NJ)
March 8, 2006

Now that Fort Monmouth is on its way to being closed by 2011, the big 
opportunities and challenges associated with the closing of a military 
base are becoming increasingly apparent to local and state government 
officials, as well as businesses, economic development organizations, 
potential developers and stakeholders.

In many parts of the United States, including the Jersey Shore, land for 
new development is increasingly scarce, especially in urban areas. 
Decommissioned military bases may be the answer to the need for 
additional residential, commercial and public-use development. But these 
bases also have their issues. These include environmental contamination, 
inadequate infrastructure, buildings that aren't up to code, protected 
species and, occasionally, unexploded ordnance.

On top of these challenges, government officials and planners frequently 
face communities fearful of what closure and redevelopment will mean, 
particularly when local economies such as those around 1,126-acre Fort 
Monmouth depend greatly on the military presence.

...

For the entire column, see
http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060308/OPINION/603080368/1030/POLITICS

--
Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
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