Oceanport Mayor Michael Mahon's Remarks To The State Committee On Economic Growth On Senate Bill 10-Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority

Mr. Chairman and Senators.

Thank you for allowing me to speak before you this morning on this important issue.

I am Michael J. Mahon, Mayor of Oceanport Borough. With me today is Borough Council President William Johnson.

We are home to Monmouth Park Racetrack and home to nearly half of the acreage comprising Fort Monmouth. Some 13% of our households have a family member directly employed on Fort Monmouth.

Our community has been dealing with the BRAC closure of Fort Monmouth, along with the Borough’s of Eatontown and Tinton Falls; along with the County of Monmouth; in a regional partnership known as FMERPA.

Separately, each of our communities developed vision plans. Designed changes to master plans and determined a reuse for the land that complimented the character of the community. Speaking for Oceanport, this process involved a cross section of the community, the hiring of a professional planning firm with the right experience, and interaction with the community. The largest influence on the plan was contributed by the residents that participated in charrettes and made their preferences known in the voting booth. The process continued on with public hearings before the planning board and public hearings before the governing body. All with capacity attendance.

This same process was duplicated by FMERPA as they conducted charrettes and public hearings. Residents of the three communities, but equally important, residents of the county contributed greatly to this process. Commenting pro and con on the various elements of the reuse plan and causing changes that reflected the will of those most impacted.

Although unpleasant at times, this process resulted in a plan that represents the will, the desires, and the hopes of the stakeholders.
This process has taken almost 4 years.

The bill before you today has been public for 11 days.

The bill before you today will impact the future of my community for the next 25 years at the very least.

Despite the exceptional effort by our Senator Beck to reshape the bill and address our concerns; simply, we (the stakeholders) need more time to get this right. You, as legislators need more time to get it right.

The structure for next 25 years must be built upon a solid foundation of partnership between the host communities; the county of Monmouth and the State of New Jersey. The movement of this bill today accomplishes the opposite by setting the stage for mistrust and conflict.

The three communities and the county have asked that this bill be held. We have asked for the opportunity to forge a partnership that respects our interests as municipalities and regionally as a county with the state supporting that effort. Working together to restore some 5,000 jobs on the fort and another 15,000 associated jobs in the region.

We are not asking to go it alone. We are asking for the opportunity to forge this partnership through a bill resulting from a collaborative effort. The bill before does not meet that standard.

In conclusion, we support the amendments offered by Senator Beck, but renew our request to hold the bill until such time as the collaborative process we’ve suggested, creates the partnership necessary for a successful revitalization of Fort Monmouth.

Thank you for your time and consideration.