Plan For 80+ Apartments On Sandy Hook Moves Forward

SANDY HOOK — The National Park Service, which operates Sandy Hook, has been trying for years to entice people to lease the abandoned Officers' Row buildings at the park's tip, and turn them into commercial properties.

Plans are still moving forward on a developer's proposal to turn the largest chunk of Officers' Row into apartments. Officers' Row is where officers used to live when Sandy Hook was a U.S. Army base.

The Stillman Group, run by Roy Stillman, wants to lease 21 buildings, gut renovate them and subdivide them into apartments. There would be a maximum of five apartments inside each building, ranging from studio to three-bedroom units. Some buildings would have fewer than five apartments.

However, at their most recent meeting on April 27, the Fort Hancock 21st Century Federal Advisory Committee — the federal task force that oversees development in the park — gave Stillman approval to first only build two apartments, and see how those two endure weather conditions, etc. at the Hook.

Stillman says they would keep the historical façade of the buildings, and only gut renovate the inside. You can watch this presentation Roy Stillman gave the National Park Service last October on what he is proposing.

Some of the units would be affordable housing, which local Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger (R-Middletown) warned "could be a flashpoint with the public" and may be met with resistance. Scharfenberger suggested veterans' housing instead.

Stillman's plan is controversial, as some say Sandy Hook should remain a national park and outdoor space, and not be turned into year-round housing. Most vocally against the idea are Congressman Frank Pallone (D-NJ 6), who represents this area, and the NJ Sierra Club.

However, the Monmouth County Board of Commissioners say they support apartments and that it's better to see Officers' Row buildings being used instead of sitting dilapidated and falling further into disrepair.

In April, we reported that a local Monmouth County man is currently hard at work converting the old mule barn — literally, where the U.S. Army used to keep mules in the early 1900s — into a bar/restaurant. It will be called the Mule Barn Tavern and is aiming to open by July 4th weekend.

Mule Barn Tavern Coming To Tip Of Sandy Hook (April 13)

You can read the latest on Stillman's proposal: https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn...

What's currently at Sandy Hook:

As of April 27, seven Officers' Row buildings in total have been leased and are either in use or being rehabilitated. They are:

• Short- and long-term residential: Some of the houses are available to be privately rented on a short-term basis.
• The American Littoral Society rents one building and uses it as their headquarters.
• Some buildings are used for the Marine and Science Technology High School (M.A.S.T.); the M.A.S.T campus is on Sandy Hook.
• A snacks and sundries shop, called McFly’s on the Hook
• The Mule Barn Tavern restaurant/pub, scheduled to open this summer.

The National Park Service says it has preliminary agreements with potential users for 24 of the remaining buildings. 21 of those buildings are covered under the largest single agreement — the Stillman apartment proposal.

The National Park Service continues to accept proposals as back-ups. If you have an idea to lease one of the buildings, you can apply here: Fort Hancock Leasing Program

The last time we reported on the 80+ Sandy Hook apartments:

Plan For Private Sandy Hook Apartments Moves Forward (2021)