Future of Eatontown Fort Monmouth Land To Be Topic of Discussion at Tonight's Council Meeting

Fort Monmouth will be on the minds of Eatontown Mayor Gerald Tarantolo and the Eatontown Borough Council during tonight's workshop meeting.

The meeting, which is scheduled for 7:30 at borough hall, has two agenda items concerning Fort Monmouth that will surely be discussed heavily by the council.

The two agenda items are a discussion of the former motor pool property at the fort that the county and whether or not the borough's Fort Monmouth land should be designated as a redevelopment zone.

County officials will be on hand to discuss the possible DPW site; a topic that has come under fire from the Mayor Tarantolo and other council members.

"My concern is that it is a change to FMERA's original plan," Mayor Tarantolo said at the last council meeting.

Mayor Tarantolo said the move is a change from the which called for the property to be turned into open space and should require an amendment to the plan.

Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority (FMERA) Executive Director Bruce Steadman has said that amendments are only required with a change of title such as in the case of

Mayor Tarantolo also said he is concerned the site, which would store salt and road materials, would be located too close to residential areas of the borough.

The council will also discuss whether or not designating the Fort Monmouth Eatontown land as a redevelopment area will be beneficial for the borough.

Earlier this year, the Tinton Falls Council designated its portion of the fort property as an area in need of redevelopment. The resolution was formalized by FMERA.

The Eatontown Council agreed to send a letter to FMERA last month asking the authority if a similar designation should be made for the borough.

Council President Anthony Talerico and other councilmembers have said the designation as a redevelopment area could be beneficial for the borough because it would give it more control on what is placed on the Fort Monmouth Property.

Mayor Tarantolo has said that taking the action would be redundant and that the property is already a redevelopment area.

Eatontown's portion of the Fort Monmouth property includes 454 acres and is made up of the Charles Wood area and the Main Post area.