$4M In Federal Funds Requested To Save Holmdel Horn Antenna

HOLMDEL, NJ — Area legislators are adding their support to the preservation of the historic Horn antenna on Crawford Hill.

Rep. Andy Kim, D-NJ, recently submitted a $4 million Community Funding Request for preservation of the Horn antenna and the site it is located on to the US House Appropriations Committee, his Congressional website said.

The antenna was named a National Historic Landmark in 1989, but is situated on a privately owned tract that could be developed.

Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community – although only a handful may actually be funded, Kim's office noted. Applications for the projects originate from the municipality.

Projects are restricted "to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible nonprofit entities are permitted to receive funding," the office said.

Holmdel Township would be the recipient of federal funding if the request is approved, a process that could take months. The request was made March 27, along with requests for funding for other projects in Kim's district.

The funding would be used to purchase the Horn antenna property - 43 acres at 791 Holmdel Road - and preserve the former Bell Labs site, which currently is privately owned and subject to development.

The Horn antenna was used in research recognized with a 1978 Nobel Prize for two Bell Labs scientists, one of whom, Robert Wilson, lives in Holmdel. The satellite communications and radio telescope equipment captured cosmic microwave background radiation, providing evidence confirming the “Big Bang” theory of the creation of the universe.

"This project is an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it will benefit local and regional conservation efforts, protect the land and existing trails, expand recreational opportunities, prevent the demolition of a National Historic Landmark, and preserve and restore the space for the enjoyment of the community, region and broader world," Kim's website said of the funding request.

"Preserving this historic site and the Horn antenna serves the educational, scientific and recreational needs of the community and is anticipated to reap economic benefits in attracting people nationwide once the property is transferred from private ownership and access is made available to the public," Kim's website said.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger and Assemblywoman Victoria "Vicky" Flynn, both R-Monmouth, have joined with concerned residents and elected officials to press to preserve the Horn antenna.

"The Horn antenna in Holmdel . . . is a critical vestige of the role Holmdel and Monmouth County played in the development of communication systems worldwide. With countless advancements in technology and the brilliant minds that made them located in Holmdel Township, it is unconscionable that this valued historic resource would be threatened by more overdevelopment," Scharfenberger said in a news release.

The Monmouth County legislators said they support all efforts being made by local resident groups and elected government officials to protect this site.

"The residents here in Monmouth County have been supported by voices all over the world to do whatever can be done to preserve the Horn antenna and the entire historical Crawford Hill site for future generations. I am pleased to see that the Holmdel Township Committee is taking steps to do so," said Assemblywoman Vicki Flynn, herself a Holmdel resident. "We have an obligation to protect this national treasure for generations to come."

Flynn added: "From Edison to Einstein, to Holmdel's own Robert Wilson, New Jersey is the home of scientific innovation. We cannot stand by and allow the significant contribution made by Wilson to be erased from our state's history."

The preservation of the Horn antenna has been supported by more than 6,000 people across the country and the world in a petition originated by several Holmdel preservation groups, including Citizens for Informed Land Use.

In the latest action on the Horn, the Holmdel Township Committee would like a judge to rule on its rights concerning the ownership of the Horn antenna, should it acquire the property it's located on.

Currently, ownership of the antenna is unclear in a sales agreement between Nokia, the former owner of the Crawford Hill site, and the current owner, Crawford Hill Holding.