Press Release - April 21, 2008

Press Contact: Bill Armbruster
757-637-7778 or barmbruster@fmfada.com

Fort Monroe FADA nears BRAC milestone for Reuse Plan

April 21, 2008 - "There is nothing like a deadline to get people moving," says Bill Armbruster, Executive Director, Fort Monroe FADA, "BRAC has a list of milestones that the FMFADA and the Army are expected to complete by August, 2008. The Army and the FMFADA are on separate tracks but we enjoy a good partnership so we have been able to adjust the reuse plan to comply with the historic preservation guidelines in advance."

Armbruster refers to the Army’s Programmatic Agreement that lays out the steps to be taken to protect historic assets. The Army is scheduled to sign the PA in August 2008. The FMFADA has used the framework of the PA to revamp its reuse plan into zones that conform to PA’s historic preservation requirements.

The Fort Monroe FADA has to complete the reuse plan and a homeless application for the Department of Defense to forward to the Housing and Urban Development. Both are due August, 2008 to meet the BRAC schedule.

"The public is going to see things ramp up over the next couple of months." Armbruster explains, "We have to meet these deadlines but this is not the end of public participation. In fact, in many ways it is the beginning. What BRAC requires is a concept plan for how Fort Monroe will be reused but working out the details will continue to be a collaborative process conducted in an open public forum."

Editors Notes

Next FMFADA meeting:

Fort Monroe FADA Board Meeting, Monday, April 28, 2008 from 1pm to 4 pm. Bay Breeze Community Center on Fort Monroe. Directions and map: www.fmfada.com Public Comment Period to begin in May:

The Army will hold public hearings on the programmatic agreement during mid-May in Hampton, Richmond and Washington D.C. with public comments due by June 16, 2008. The Army will announce date, time and place.

On May 28, 2008 the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. in the Bay Breeze on Fort Monroe to present the Fort Monroe Draft Reuse Plan and the HUD application to the public. Following the presentation, there will be a 30 day period for the public to offer written comments by June 28, 2008.

Next steps:

The FMFADA board is expected to review comments, consider changes and approve the draft reuse plan and the HUD application at their June 30, 2008 meeting. The Governor will be given 30 days to review and comment on the planning, with a final approval by the FMFADA board expected at their August meeting.

FMFADA has new address: Old Quarters #1, 151 Bernard Road, Fort Monroe, VA 23651.