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The Asbury Park Press
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  A view in October 2004 of the same building repainted by an InfoAge volunteer using lead-paint safe methods. Caring persons saving America's heritage for the future |
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WALL
FEARS ARMY BUILDINGS UNUSABLE  Camp
pact decaying
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PACT
FROM PAGE A1 The township has acquired or is close to securing about 150 acres of open space at the 217-acre camp, on Marconi Road along the south bank of the Shark River . The Army gave another 25 acres, on which more buildings are located, to Brookdale Community College for its Coastal Communiversity campus. But more than 10 of the largest buildings have yet to be turned over . These World War II-era structures, known as H-buildings be - cause of their shape and totaling about 100;000 square feet, were to be converted to a nonprofit information and technology museum that would include the history of the camp and be run by township resident Fred Carl. A temporary museum is housed in two 1,200-square-foot houses across the street from the H-buildings,under an agreement with the Army . Township officials are growing increasingly impatient — and worried about gaining control of the H-buildings . "They are disintegrating, and we are uncertain as to what condition they'll be in on transfer," Verruni said last week . "The roofs could be in the basement for all we know. " Transfer of the H-buildings initially was delayed because Army missions were still being conducted at the camp, and later, because of soil contamination found at the site around 2000. |
The debate about the transfer now centers on a memorandum of agreement reached, 2 1/2 years ago that stipulated the township would accept the buildings in "as-is condition if the Army would replace a sewer system that it ripped out of the ground in 2000. The system was excavated because cleanup crews at Camp Evans had detected mercury contamination in it, Carl said. Under the agreement, new pipes were supposed to be installed by April 1, 2003, Verruni said, but the work hasn't been done. During removal of the sewers, workers hit electrical lines , cutting off power and heat for the H-buildings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places -since 1999. The buildings' structural decline began soon after, Army and township officials agree, During the last few winters , pipes have burst and radiators have exploded . Layers of latex - based paint have peeled off the walls, revealin g lead-based paint that is peeling now also , said Carl, director of th e museum, called the Infoage Science- History Center. "You'd have puddles in here the size of small lakes," he said. "It's a really unfortunate situation," Township Attorney Roger McLaughlin said. "These were buildings that were perfectly usable at the, time we accepted to take them, and now they're not usable at all. " 'The
value is millions'
Chuck Appleby, Base Realignment and Closure environmental coordinator for Fort Monmouth, who' oversees |
 cleanup at the site, said the township must realize what it would be gaining by owning the property. "The whole idea is, we are getting rid of excess property at a public benefit," Appleby said. "The value is millions of dollars . " Carl said the Army has threatened to sell at auction th e buildings on the 37-acre site in question, known as Parcel C . "We have an agreement with Wall Township to convey the property as a public benefit con- veyance and have been working in close cooperation with township officials toward that end, " Fort Monmouth spokesman Timothy Rider said in a statement "We are, however, obligated to obtain the best value for the property if public conveyance is not possible." The Army has spent about $25 million to clean up Camp Evans to rid the soil of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, and mercury, Appleby said. The PCBs were in oils used to cool the many electrical transformers on the site. Appleby said crews hope to |
finish
cleanup work in a few months. But Verruni said the Army is not acting in good faith. He questions the validity, of the agreement reached in 2001 because, he said, what was "as-is" then is far from what is "as-is" now. "We're reluctant to make an unknown deal," he said. "(The Army needs) to tell us what condition (the buildings will) be in upon transfer." Verruni said the military violated its promise to repair the sewer system . Carl said the repairs are crucial before the buildings can be opened to th e public . Rider said bids received for the project came back higher than the anticipated cost of $285,000. "The Army has reissued the solicitation and has every reason to expect to award a contract at a price more i n line with our expectations," he said . Verruni said one option may be the township installin g the sewers and the Army cleanin g up the buildings. Bob McAllan, community cochairman of the Camp Evans Restoration Advisory Board, estimated the buildings will cos t between $750,000 and $1 millio n to restore, whereas the sewer installation would be much less . Carl said the township has some money set aside. Guardedly optimistic
Carl, 49, a former high school science teacher in Ocean Town - ship and Long Branch, is hoping an agreement can be worked out and the museum soon can begin operations in the buildings, which include the 90-year-old, 12,000-square-foot Marconi Hotel, one of the few structures on the site that is in good condition . But his optimism is guarded. "I won't believe it until someone hands us the keys," Carl said . Dan Kaplan: (732) 643-4024 or dkaplan@app.com |
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