Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee
Gateway National Recreation Area
Meeting Summary
May 16, 2013
The Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee (Committee), chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), held its third meeting, May 16, 2013, at the Ocean Place Resort, Long Branch, New Jersey.
Summary of Decisions
1. Approved the "Vision Statement" as drafted by the Vision Statement Working Group, with the addition of a paragraph suggested by Linda Canzanelli, and directed that it be transmitted to the Park. This is the Committee's first consensus recommendation.
2. Established two new working groups -
- Historical Context Working Group to ( 1) review the military history of Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook and present it to the Committee, and (2) develop proposals for integrating the mission and reuse of military facilities into reuse plans for Fort Hancock and the Park's interpretation at Sandy Hook.
- Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) Working Group to (1) provide information to the Committee on RFEl's and ways to move forward with the RFEI, and (2) prepare a draft RFEI for Committee review and discussion at the next meeting.
3. Disbanded the Vision Statement Working Group.
Welcome and Opening of Meeting
Linda Canzanelli, the Committee's Designated Federal Officer, opened the meeting at 9:10 a.m. and welcomed everyone. Committee members introduced themselves and Robert Fisher, facilitator, provided an overview of the agenda for the day. Gerard Glaser, Co-Chair of the Committee, also welcomed the Committee. The Co-Chairs announced that Gerry Glaser would chair this meeting and that one of them will chair each Committee meeting.
March Meeting Summary
Robert Fisher noted that the draft Meeting Summary for the Committee's March 12, 2013 meeting was distributed to the Committee and requested Committee members provide comments or suggestions within a week. Once finalized, the summary will be posted on the Committee's website for the public.
Real Property Costing Working Group Report
Shawn Welch, coordinator of the Real Property Costing Working Group, gave a presentation on the Working Group's analysis of the costs and funding associated with rehabilitating buildings at Gateway, Sandy Hook, and Fort Hancock. Mr. Welch noted the following highlights:
- The former U.S. Army installation "Fort Hancock" was turned over to the National Park Service in 1976.
- NPS needs to estimate the costs of restoring the Fort Hancock buildings in order to attract and retain future investment and operating capability for their reuse.
- Since 1976 the vast majority of these buildings have not received routine maintenance and repair.
- There is no reliable high speed Internet capability at Fort Hancock and utilities need to be upgraded to current technologies.
- All roofs must be replaced, and windows, walls and eaves sealed.
- Most initial rehabilitation funding must be secured from within federal government sources.
- The buildings must be brought to a minimal level of rehabilitation for the intended purpose to enable the immediate occupancy and use.
- The buildings at Fort Hancock's Historic District occupy 286,482 square feet or
7 % of Gateway's total building space of 4,176,701 square feet. The rest of the buildings at Fort Hancock (Sandy Hook) occupy 771,570 or 18% of Gateway's total building space.
- Gateway's total deferred maintenance needs are $630,020,320. The buildings at the Fort Hancock Historic District would require $29,668,970 in deferred maintenance, and the rest of Fort Hancock (Sandy Hook) would require $50,138, 325 to rehabilitate them completely (based on NPS Maximo). These cost estimates do not include planning and design costs, furniture and fixtures costs, and information technology enabling costs.
- Due to lack of funding, Gateway can stabilize some buildings but not rehabilitate all of them. Gateway must prioritize maintenance and repairs due to insufficient funding.
- It would cost $2 million a year to operate the Fort Hancock Historic District buildings within the Committee's reuse footprint, and it would cost approximately $2 million to do routine maintenance each year. Therefore,$4 million a year is needed to keep the Fort Hancock structures in good operating order in accordance with full industry standards as applied by the Department of Defense.
- Given the current circumstances, Gateway is doing an equitable job in balancing the maintenance of occupied buildings at the Fort Hancock Historic District and park-wide.
- Re-using pre-World War II masonry buildings is more cost efficient than constructing new buildings per a Department of Defense commissioned study released in 2013 and posted on the FH21 committee website.
Flood Insurance Working Group Report
Tim Hill, the coordinator of the Flood Insurance Working Group, gave an update on information developed so far about flood insurance.
Mr. Hill reported that Everglades National Park (NP) in Florida faced flooding issues in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina. A 103-room lodge in the Flamingo Basin section of Everglades NP was damaged by the storm and cost $78 million to rehabilitate. Everglades NP moved utilities out of basements to higher elevations to help to flood proof and elevated facilities 10 feet and higher.
Mr. Hill also shared the Borough of Atlantic Highlands' experience following Hurricane Sandy. The Borough's 1960s era municipal buildings insured for $24,000 a year, with a $50,000 deductible. The Borough faces three choices: 1) relocate the buildings (if possible), 2) replacement of structures, or 3) use trailers (not the preferred option).
At Sandy Hook, water flowed into basements, but never reached the rafters. Mr. Hill reported that Gateway received $360 million from the Federal Highways Administration. $35 million will go directly to rehabilitate Sandy Hook. Gateway's plan is to us the funding to open beach centers, repair roads, and fix buildings, among other things.
Vision Working Group Report / Vision Statement
The Committee reviewed and discussed the draft Vision Statement developed by the Vision Working Group, including the paragraph suggested by Linda Canzanelli. Upon motion by Howard Parish, seconded by Gerry Glaser, the Committee unanimously adopted the Vision Statement as proposed by the Vision Working Group, with the inclusion of Linda Canzanelli's paragraph. The approved Vision Statement represents the Committee's first consensus recommendation to the Park. The Committee directed John Reynolds to transmit it to the Park.
Community Outreach / Communications Working Group Report
John Ekdahl, coordinator of the Community Outreach/Communications Working Group, gave a status report. Mr. Ekdahl reported that the Committee needs to identify and establish how to engage the public with their ideas. Press releases issued by the Park and use of social media would help the Committee in this endeavor. The working group will continue to meet and support the Committee's efforts.
Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI)
The Committee then discussed the possibility of issuing a Request for Expression of Ideas (RFEI) and the draft Project Schedule prepared by the Park. Comments by Committee members included the following:
- The RFEI would include both a policy component and a diligence component.
- The Committee needs to communicate the need for the RFEI to the local community.
- RFEI planning is crucial to determine whether anyone in the private sector will be interested in developing the Fort Hancock buildings in the future, the Committee's networking campaign, and the Committee's deliverable to the public.
- Release of the RFEI should be expedited, as the draft plan doesn't call for the issuance of the RFEI until October 2013.
- A Committee member will send the Committee a link to the Graystone Mental Hospital RFEI, so they could see how it was written.
- The establishment of a Trust to administer the properties is probably more suited to an expansive site such as the Presidio, rather than at Fort Hancock, which is much smaller.
- The Committee needs to use the media and schedule site visits to Fort Hancock to better develop the RFEI pmcess. It would be great to have one house fully restored "history house", to allow the public to see it and speculate on the development and investment of the Fort Hancock Historic District. Perhaps a working group should be set up to develop this history house.
Committee members also raised the following questions:
- Should the NPS require an applicant to show proof of funding?
- Should the RFEI explicitly allow interested parties to state whether they believe the project can be accomplished through a single master lease, or through individual building-by-building agreements?
John Reynolds outlined the RFEI process used at Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GOGA) to solicit ideas for utilizing several structures within the park. GOGA cast a wide net by advertising on its website and Facebook, hiring a consultant to find respondents, and notifying standard media outlets. GOGA received sixteen responses, and chose to interview the five most highly qualified. GOGA then had three of them present their RFEl's to the public. The NPS then requested a full prospectus/ proposal from the three finalists. GOGA choose one responder to enter into contract negotiations following environmental compliance and will determine whether to proceed or drop the concept.
The Committee established the RFEI Working Group to (1) provide information to the Committee on RFEl's and ways to move forward with the RFEI, and (2) prepare a draft RFEI for Committee review and discussion at the June 28, 2013 meeting. The Working Group is composed of the following Committee members -- Linda Cohen, Gerard Glaser (coordinator), Arthur Imperatore, Jr., John Reynolds, Shawn Welch, and Karolyn Wray. Pam Mclay indicated that there are a few examples of RFEl's on Gateway's FACA website.
Sandy Hook / Fort Hancock Name
Shawn Welch outlined the importance of reflecting Fort Hancock in the interpretation of Sandy Hook and in the name of Sandy Hook unit of Gateway. Mr. Welch distributed a Memorandum from the Chief Historian of the Department of the Army to support the Committee's consideration for the "Fort Hancock" name to be included in the title of the Sandy Hook unit, such as calling it Fort Hancock/Sandy Hook. Several Committee members expressed reservations about a potential name change, while others indicated an interest in exploring ways to incorporate the historical context of Fort Hancock.
The Committee established the Historical Context Working Group to (1) review the military history of Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook and present it to the Committee, and (2) develop proposals for integrating the mission and reuse of military facilities into reuse plans for Fort Hancock and the Park's interpretation at Sandy Hook. The Working Group is composed of the following Committee Members - Mary Eileen Fourett, Guy Hembling, Tim Hill, Michael Holenstein, Howard Parish, Lynda Rose, Dan Saunders, and Shawn Welch (coordinator).
Next Committee Meeting
The next Committee meeting will be held on June 28th in Building 22 at Fort Hancock. The Park will re-publish the location of the next Committee meetings in the Federal Register. Pete McCarthy will coordinate setting up this in Building 22. If Building 22 is not available, the next Committee meeting will be held in the Fort Hancock Chapel.
Shawn VVelch pmposed a Committee lantern tour of Fort Hancock immediately following a meeting, especially one that falls on a Friday. Interested Committee members should communicate directly with Shawn Welch.
The Park will waive the parking fee ($15.00) that is collected at entry booths during the summer. Committee members and the public should inform the NPS rangers that they are attending the FACA meeting, and not going to the beach. They will be able to enter the park without paying the $15.00 beach parking fee.
Upcoming Departure
Linda Canzanelli announced that she is retiring from the NPS, and that her last day will be attending the Committee meeting on June 28th Suzanne McCarthy will be the acting Superintendent and involved with the Committee.
Public Comment Highlights
James Kraus, Environmental Chief at Atlantic Highlands (Southern hook of the bay): expressed concern about rebranding the "the Hook". He indicated the Committee has made progress and expressed his gratitude to the Committee for their work.
Betsy Barrett, President of the Sandy Hook Foundation: indicated that the Committee's work on the draft RFEI is premature, because people will need the ability to see and visit the buildings at Fort Hancock and the public needs more information about what's happening and the Committee's work. The message needs to get out on the Internet.
Paul Taylor is a native and lifelong resident of Monmouth County, New Jersey who retired as the Historic Sites manager in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, has volunteered at Battery Gunnison for 12 years, and is a member of the Army Ground Forces Association. Mr. Taylor indicated that Fort Hancock is the only place in the US where the NPS interprets World War II coastal defense history. Sandy Hook is important due to its natural features, and Fort Hancock is important due to its human history. He also indicated that it does not seem apparent to the public that Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook are the same location. He mentioned Fort McKinley in Portland, Maine as an example of a restored coastal fort where all of the officers' houses have been restored and of what Fort Hancock could become in the future.
Linda Canzanelli thanked Committee members and the public and adjourned the meeting at 4:42 pm.
