MAST Buildings -Long Delayed
Officials from the Monmouth County Vocational Technical School District are expected to be at a meeting November 9 to give an update on the progress of rehabilitation of the two buildings the District leases for MAST from the National Park Service on Sandy Hook.
Dr. Charles Ford, Superintendent of the Monmouth County Vocational Technical school district, and Kelly Brazelton, business administrator for the school district which includes MAST, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology represent one of the leasees requested to attend the regularly scheduled meeting to give updates.
The meeting of the Fort Hancock 21st Century Federal Advisory Committee is via ZOOM and runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Local residents have questioned rumors that while one of the two buildings, Building 56, leased several years ago by the district is currently in use, contractors are still working on the building. Building 56 and Building 23, a former barracks, were both leased by the county school district to provide accommodations for indoor drills and bathroom facilities for MAST students, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology at Sandy Hook. MAST leases 11 other buildings from the National Park Service on Sandy Hook and negotiated another lease for the two buildings several years ago to provide better and more complete accommodations for the NJROTC program.
Most concerning, according to local residents, is Building 23, the larger of the two leased buildings, which the school district has left lying dormant for several years since the first work on it ceased two years ago. At that time, school spokesmen said building contracts could not be out for bid due to nesting ospreys at the highest point of the building. Due to environmental regulations, endangered species cannot be disturbed. However, since the birds nested, migrated and left, yet no contracts have still been sought to repair and renovate the building. Earlier this year, it was reported more than once that bids would be sought for the construction by specific dates; however, that never happened.
Building 23 was leased by Monmouth County to provide office space, classrooms, drill space and bathrooms for students in the NJROTC program, at MAST. Every student at MAST is in the NJROTC program and must pass the Naval Science program in order to earn a MAST diploma.
The school is one of the five vocational technical schools for Monmouth County, all of which consistently rank among the top ten schools in the state for academic excellence. MAST also consistently garners national and multi-state district awards and commendations for its outstanding NJROTC program and the number of students who gain numerous scholarships both to ROTC college programs as well as all of the five federal military academies.
To a journalist who has sought information on the building, it appears that should Dr. Ford and Brazelton attend the meeting to give updates, there is a possibility they will not be able to be complete their report and provide the information the Advisory Commission is requesting as part of its routine update on activities at the national recreation area.
An OPRA request for information on updates of construction of Buildings 23 and 56 was filed and received by both the school district and the Monmouth County Commissioners Oct. 13. Brazelton responded to the request Oct. 18 indicating additional time would be necessary to fill the citizen’s request past the OPRA required Oct. 24 date.
The reason the information could not be forwarded within the allotted mandated time, she said in the letter, was due to the scope of the request and the need to review and potentially redact any documents allowed under OPRA regulations. The administrator added she anticipated the records may be made available by Nov. 14.
In response to the OPRA request sent to the Monmouth County Commissioners, Monmouth County attorney Michael Fitzgerald responded with a telephone call also indicating further time would be needed in order to provide the information.
The information requested by the journalist appears to be some of the information the Federal Advisory Committee would want at its meeting Nov. 9 since it concerns one of its leased programs.
That OPRA request whose response had to be extended included requests for information on the original estimate and date for rehabilitation for both buildings, the total cost of Building 56 rehabilitation, the smaller of the two buildings, the cost for digging out and filling in the cellar in building 56, the building now being used to house and store an approximate $1milion in federal uniforms and supplies, the number of change orders which have been issued for Building 56, the former barracks, and minutes of the meeting when that building rehabilitation was halted due to the osprey nest.
The request also included information on the number of executive session meetings that have been held concerning the buildings, as well as a copy of certificates of approval, contracts and leases concerning the buildings originally scheduled to house the award winning NJROTC program.
Because of the scope of business to be covered at the meeting, public comment will only be permitted between 11:30 and noon, and each speaker will be limited to three minutes. Callers must advise Ms Yun in advance if they want to comment and callers will then be taken on a first come basis. The Park Service will accept written comments forwarded to the Park Service and use them to remain informed for future outreach efforts. Those comments can be submitted at Gateway_Feedback@NPS.gov.
More Stories about MAST HERE
