A potential change in the Fort Monmouth redevelopment plan that would move a homeless shelter at the fort closer to a residential neighborhood has caused a stir among Oceanport residents.
During the Aug. 26 Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) meeting, Executive Director Bruce Steadman acknowledged that the board is considering amending the plan to relocate the shelter to Building 901, which is located between Murphy and Main streets.
While no final determination has been made, Oceanport Councilman John Patti, who was filling in for Mayor Michael Mahon, said there is a lot of concern over the potential move of the shelter, which was originally slated to be farther away from borough residential neighborhoods.
“As if the borough is not dealing with enough on its plate, we are now dealing with the possibility of a homeless shelter yards from our taxpaying residents, an elementary school and houses of value,” Patti said.
“When it comes to where this homeless shelter will end up going, we should all be in this plan together, working together on it. The decision should be in the best interest of Oceanport.”
Councilman Joseph Irace said the borough first became aware of the potential relocation of the homeless shelter to Building 901, a general purpose administration building, through a conference call involving FMERA officials and Borough Administrator John O. Bennett III.
While Irace said both the county and borough do not want the shelter at building 901, Steadman disagreed.
“Building 901 is the first building the county looked at several months ago and they liked it very much,” Steadman said, adding that due to the concerns raised he would consider other options for the location of the shelter.
According to Steadman, the board has a legal requirement to have a county-run homeless shelter remain at the Oceanport section of the fort.
“This isn’t something we dreamed up and came up with,” Steadman said.
Oceanport Councilman Christopher Paglia said since the rumors regarding the homeless shelter began, residents have been very concerned. “The rest of the council has been besieged over the last few days over the homeless shelter,” he said. “I know FMERA takes a holistic approach, that’s why you’re in charge and not each individual town, but there has to be a better solution.”
While the FMERA meetings are generally sparsely attended, Oceanport residents crowded the meeting to voice concerns over the shelter and the impact it would have on property values, At least one resident said he is considering moving from the borough if the shelter is located near his neighborhood.
Patti said the large crowd is proof of residents’ concerns about redevelopment of the fort.
“They are not attending because they have nothing else to do, they are attending because of growing concerns over changes that are being pressed upon our town,” he said. “They attend because of unknowns and a disconnect in the process.
“The residents are at their wits end with this unwelcome change.”
Former Oceanport police chief Mauro “Buzz” Baldanza said he has concerns about who would be administering medical services and who would be conducting criminal background checks for the shelter residents, suggesting it should fall on the county and not the borough.
“After 30 years of being a police officer in Oceanport, I am intimately aware of what the homeless shelter is,” he said.
Baldanza also suggested the former West Point Prep Academy building at the fort would be more suitable for a homeless shelter.
“That should be pretty well capable of handling any kind of shelter need,” Baldanza said.
Oceanport resident Karen Joselyn echoed Patti’s statement that residents are not being properly informed about the board’s decisions.
“I think what the Oceanport residents are most concerned about is the lack of information,” she said. “It just seems like our residents are really missing out on a lot of information.
“This is going to impact our town, our property taxes, not just today or tomorrow but for years to come.”