SANDY HOOK — National Park Service (NPS) officials have proposed a new management plan for Sandy Hook and the rest of the Gateway National Recreation Area that they say will help bring the park into the 21st century.
Replacing a management plan that has been in place since 1979, the new vision would include expanded recreational opportunities, education programs and public transportation designed to attract a new generation of park-goers.
By improving access and increasing the availability of activities such as camping, kayaking and overnight lodging, the park will become a “world-class national park experience” over the next two decades, according to Superintendent Jennifer Nersesian.
“Gateway’s time has arrived,” she said, referring to the first urban national park created by the NPS in 1972.
The management plan, currently awaiting final approval by the NPS, is the result of five years of planning, coordination and public comment on the future of Sandy Hook and the other Gateway units in Staten Island and Jamaica Bay.
Released on May 9, the final plan recommends a host of new programs and experiences to address an older, more diverse visitor base, a national trend away from outdoor recreation, and environmental threats such as sea level rise.
While specific programs and offerings would be rolled out individually if the plan is officially approved, Gateway officials say the management plan would provide for expanded trails, boating launch sites, camping facilities, water-borne activities and new interpretive programs.
The plan would also address the “insufficient parking capacity” at Sandy Hook, which often requires the closure of the parking lots throughout the summer.
Gateway officials say they would explore options for public transport into the park, a shuttle system connecting the park to adjacent communities, off-site bike rental stations, expanded ferry service and private boat access.
Increased visitor counts could help fund the expanded services and programs outlined in the plan for Sandy Hook, which is dependent on a relatively flat level of federal funding.
The park keeps 80 percent of the revenues generated from its $15 daily parking passes and $75 season passes, according to NPS officials.
In the summer of 2013, as Sandy Hook was still recovering from superstorm Sandy, the park’s front gate sold 132,149 passes, according to NPS spokeswoman Daphne Yun. Nearly 299,000 were sold throughout 2012.
The plan also proposes a number of new commercial opportunities for Sandy Hook, including the transformation of Fort Hancock into “a bustling center of activity and a popular overnight destination.”
NPS officials, along with the 20-member Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee, are currently marketing threedozen historic buildings at the fort to businesses, individuals and nonprofit organizations for reuse and restoration.
Potential uses include restaurants, lodging, conference space and offices.
Park officials say the management plan also expands protections of Sandy Hook’s sensitive environmental and historic resources while working to promote them to a new generation of park-goers.
Areas within Fork Hancock would be rehabilitated as “flexible open space” for recreation, picnics and community events, while historic military batteries and attractions such as the Nike Missile Launch and Radar Site would be protected and opened to guided tours.
Improvements would be made to Sandy Hook’s forest, shrub and wetland habitats, as well, officials said.
In response to some of the reams of comments submitted by local groups and residents over the past five years, NPS officials have also expanded Sandy Hook’s protected zones in the final plan, which would now include “the vast majority of the north end of Sandy Hook and the shoreline of Spermaceti Cove.”
“This action would continue existing benefits to wildlife in these areas and reduce impacts from [increased] access,” according to the plan.
The plan also calls for seasonal restrictions on beach camping and application of a protective Sensitive Resource zone on the bay side of Sandy Hook.
The plan acknowledges some other potential negative impacts of the expanded offerings, including increased noise and night lighting, but said these would be outweighed by increased visitor engagement, spending and new job opportunities for residents of the surrounding area.
NPS officials chose the proposed plan over another alternative that highlighted “independent exploration and wild experiences” centered on Gateway’s natural areas and historic sites.
The selected alternative is expected to increase visitor use more than the lower-impact alternative, according to the report.
NPS officials said the plan could be approved or denied by the NPS northeast regional director sometime in June.
The 21st Century Advisory Committee is currently developing a request for proposals for the reuse of the Fort Hancock buildings. The committee meets next on May 30.