Noise, Overnight Filming From Netflix Worries Oceanport Planning Board

OCEANPORT, NJ — At their Tuesday night meeting, several Oceanport Planning Board members raised concerns about noise, lighting and the overnight/outdoor filming Netflix said they may do at Fort Monmouth.

Netflix's presentation to the Board lasted nearly four hours; the public can watch it here.

Netflix assumed ownership of all of Fort Monmouth, but the McAfee Parcel is where Netflix plans to build first, with construction planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2025, or early 2026. This is according to Netflix senior project manager Kenneth Falcon, who gave Tuesday's presentation to the Planning Board.

The McAfee Parcel is 45 acres bordered by Cheryl Avenue to the north, Brewer Avenue to the west and Avenue of Memories along the south. It butts up against the towns of Oceanport and Eatontown.

Netflix said it expects the McAfee Parcel will accommodate hundreds of actors and set crews at a time, and filming could happen around the clock, through the nighttime hours. Netflix also said they could do outdoor filming on site.

"How do you go about controlling noise for that kind of filming?" asked one Planning Board member. "I mean, inside you say you have soundproof stages, but how do you control noise for outdoor filming?"

"We follow the noise ordinances of New Jersey or the local boroughs on whatever the noise ordinances for that specific location," replied Falcon.

Then Planning Board member Darren Davis said:

"Everyone's under a little sticker shock on this. It's kind of misleading. The set times presented to us were 5 to 11. (meaning the town was told filming would primarily take place from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.) But now we've got a 24-hour facility ... I mean, there has to be some sort of limitations put in place."

"It's being portrayed as something else than was originally stated," he told the Netflix spokesman directly.

Davis also suggested the towns of Oceanport and Eatontown limit the hours when Netflix can shoot outside, and limit filming at night.

"Can you not do it at 2 a.m., and do it at 10 a.m. or 10 p.m.?" Davis asked of filming.

The Netflix project manager responded that all filming done indoors is in a production set, which is soundproof.

"There could be occasional filming outdoors, but again, we would have to comply with the noise ordinance of both the state and of the boroughs. And I don't think that it's going to be on a frequent basis either," said Falcon.

The closest home sits 380 feet from the boundary line of the McAfee Parcel.

"So I'm not an expert here, but practically, I don't think any sort of neighbor would know the difference whether there was filming outdoors or indoors," said Falcon. "But again, they would have to comply with all the regulations, as would anybody else in the borough."

There will be an 8-10 foot wall around the entire Netflix McAfee Parcel, with a gate and 24/7 security. Security will be very tightly controlled and nobody will be allowed on Netflix property without permission to be there, said Netflix.

What Netflix plans to build first at Fort Monmouth:

Netflix plans to build a total of four film stages on the McAfee Parcel:

• The first stage will be 22,000 square feet
• A second stage, around 22,400 square feet, will have a twin sound stage
• Stage three and four will be 83,000 square feet combined, with a movable wall in between. So they can be merged to make one large film studio, or separated.
• A mill building (where they will actually build all of the sets), which will be around 61,000 square feet.
• And Netflix plans to renovate an existing 90,000 square-foot building on site that will be used for production offices and support.

"If you've ever seen the 'Bridgerton' show, there is a large 10,000-square-foot warehouse that they have just for her wigs," said Falcon, of the need to build storage space.

Netflix needs approval from the Oceanport Planning Board on all of these proposals. What Netflix is proposing is still in the public hearing process in Oceanport.

If approval is given, construction on all of this would not start until the end of 2025, or early 2026, said Netflix. Construction would last approximately one year from its start date.

Gov. Phil Murphy granted Netflix $125 million in tax breaks if they stay in the state and occupy the film studios for at least 10 years.