Community Corner

Sandy Hook Management Plan Review Today

The informal National Park Service-hosted information session will feature three draft plans for a Sandy Hook management vision

It's the first step toward a new management vision for Sandy Hook, along with other National Park Service Gateway National Recreation Area landmarks.

Today, from 3 to 7 p.m., an informal information session will be held at the Sea Gull's Nest, parking area D on the Hook.

During the four-hour open session, the public is invited to drop by and talk with Park Service representatives who will be on hand to answer questions and offer information about the management quest. Presentation boards and maps will also be on display, according to the Gateway National Recreation Area Web site.

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Members of the public also are encouraged to offer suggestions concerning how they would like to see the park revamped and/or preserved within the coming 20 years, according to information on the site.

The National Park Service has three draft plans to share, each outlining a different management approach, that involve alternatives such as possible leasing of historic buildings on the site, bringing commercial restaurants and/or bed and breakfast facilities, increasing beach access and creating campsites along the Hook.

Find out what's happening in Rumson-Fair Havenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A more than decade-old plan to privatize and commercialize the Fort Hancock section of the Hook — which is home to historic bunkers and buildings dating back to the Cold War — failed when a group dubbed Save Sandy Hook mobilized and fought the proposal via a string of lawsuits, claiming the fate of a national park should remain pristine and out of a private developer's hands.

Congressman Frank Pallone (D-6) joined the fight.

In September, after the public has had a chance to review the plans and submit comments, the next step in the Gateway management vision plan is to hold formal open houses on the draft plans.

For more information and to view the three draft plans for Sandy Hook, click here.

If you cannot attend the informal session, you may also submit suggestions online at the site.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here