Twp. moves on Camp Kilmer acquisition BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer EDISON - Edison took the first steps in acquiring a 23-acre plot of land that, if all goes as planned, will add 80 to 120 affordable housing units to the township as well as provide significant space for the departments of recreation and public works. During its meeting on Dec. 12, the Edison Township Council unanimously approved a resolution that would set in motion the process that is ultimately aimed as acquiring the last remaining land in Camp Kilmer, a largely unused Army base at the intersection of Kilmer Road and Truman Drive. The few staff members who remain there will be moving to Fort Dix in 2011, according to Susan Peck, Community Development Block Grant coordinator. Because the Army intends to vacate the base entirely, the remainder of the land was offered to the township, which eagerly accepted the proposal. According to Township Planner Brandi Forbes, the land will have 80 to 120 affordable and homeless housing units, which will be overseen by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Business Administrator Anthony Cancro said that a nonprofit called the Monarch Organization, which specializes in providing affordable housing, will be developing the units on behalf of HUD. Other nonprofits may also become involved. Forbes said that any housing development proposed for the site will still be subject to the approval process and building regulations that any project would be subject to. There are also, according to Forbes, several already existing large buildings on the land that would be used by the township. A building called 1072, which council President Charles Tomaro said is big enough to play basketball in, will be used by the recreation department for various programs. Another large building, referred to as 1065, will also be used for recreation programs, though it will also house department offices and provide practice space for the police and fire departments' pipe and drum bands. Finally, the site has a large garage that will be used by the Department of Public Works for vehicle maintenance. At least, this is the plan. Forbes said that with the passage of the resolution, she will finalize the paperwork, including comments from the public, and submit them to both HUD and the Army before the Jan. 31 deadline. From there, both entities will review the plan and either approve the idea or return it with comments. Forbes said that HUD has a March 31 deadline to make a final decision, while the Army has a year. During the Wednesday meeting, Jane Tousman, who was on the committee to determine the uses for the land, said she was concerned about possible contamination on the site, noting that hazardous chemicals had been found in that vicinity before. "I do want to see it happen, I just want to see it environmentally safe," said Tousman. She also noted that there must be an environmental impact statement with the proposal to gauge what effects the project will have. According to Tomaro, Camp Kilmer was built during World War II and was the last stop before soldiers were eventually sent overseas. The base served the same purpose a few years later when the Korean War broke out. A few years after that, the barracks housed refugees from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Right now, the base has a small staff handling administrative matters, according to Forbes. After that, much of the land that made up Camp Kilmer was either sold off or given away to various entities in and around the town, both public and private, with the most recent acquisition being a set of athletic fields given to the township. The process to begin acquiring the last of the land being offered by the Army began in April 2006, according to Peck, when the Township Council formally created the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) - which is composed of the council itself - that would oversee the project. By the time November of that same year had passed, the township had received word that several different entities, including the recreation department, Middlesex County and various homeless housing groups, were interested in utilizing the plot. A committee of the various interested parties was formed to determine a redevelopment plan that would be recommended to the council. Around February 2007, the Army expressed a desire to conduct an analysis of the land's market value under a new program called MILCON (Military Construction) Exchange, which delayed the planning for a little while. "So as a result of the military wanting to do this analysis, it put us behind, and we requested an extension for six months for the submission of the plan … they did approve it, of course, and the plan is due on January 31, but first it had to be approved by the LRA, which is the council, which took place [on Dec. 12]," said Peck. The plan has gained widespread favor from those who have been involved with it, in that it would provide much-needed additional space for the township as well providing homes for people in need of it, something that should go a long way in meeting affordable housing obligations. "The homeless have a place to stay, we'll get a public works building out of it and a building for the recreation department, and expand the departments …," said Tomaro. According to Forbes, the land could be given to the township for free, provided a number of federal agencies approve the plan. Because of the number of potential uses for the base, many different entities would need to give their approval. HUD, for example, needs to sign off on the affordable and homeless housing plan to make the land zero cost. The National Park Service has to approve the recreational uses to make the land zero cost. Forbes said the LRA will have to negotiate for the public works site. Councilman Robert Diehl, during the meeting, said that acquiring the parcel would be a "win-win" for the township, noting that land has become a commodity in short supply. "Once upon a time, we had so much land. … We took it for granted," Diehl said. Councilwoman Joan Kapitan agreed. "We are truly fortunate to have this opportunity," Kapitan said.