Fort Hancock 21st Century

Federal Advisory Committee

Gateway National Recreation Area
26 Hudson Road
Highlands, NJ 07732
ph: 732-872-5910
fax: 732-872-5907
forthancock21stcentury@yahoo.com

Gateway National Recreation Area has issued three Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for leasing up to six historic Army buildings within the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark, which encompasses all of Gateway's Sandy Hook Unit. The park will accept lease applications through April 17, 2015.

In this pilot phase of Fort Hancock's renewal, Gateway will consider leasing two buildings as bed-and-breakfasts, two as residences or residence/offices and two for not-for-profit/education organizations. The deliberate pace of rehabilitation will help the National Park Service (NPS) lay a secure foundation for a community that will include over three dozen historic structures in the heart of Fort Hancock. The Use Map shows how the NPS envisions the elements of a new, viable and vital Fort Hancock. To look inside several of the buildings available for lease, check out the Committee's Flickr page.

The next committee meeting will be held Friday, February 20, 2015 at the Sandy Hook Chapel, beginning at 9 am. Meetings are open to the public, with a public comment period beginning at 1 pm.

Welcome!

This website will serve as your outlet for information on the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee. The Committee, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, will make recommendations to the National Park Service on the adaptive reuse of buildings within the Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground National Historic Landmark, located in Gateway National Recreation Area's Sandy Hook Unit. Here you will find critical documents, background material, meeting minutes and other useful information concerning property at Fort Hancock. All meetings are open to the public, with public comments taken at 1 pm.

What is the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)?

The FACA law, passed by Congress in 1972, governs the operations of the Fort Hancock 21st Century Advisory Committee (Committee).

Timely Notice of Public Meetings

FACA requires timely notice (generally 15 calendar days notice) of each Committee meeting, to be published in the Federal Register to inform the public of the time, place and agenda of each meeting. Committee meeting notices will appear in the Federal Register, Gateway's Facebook page, National Park Service (NPS) press releases and this website.

Public Attendance

FACA requires the Committee to hold public meetings. Interested persons may attend meetings, appear before the Committee to make public comment at specific times and to submit written statements with the Committee, subject to regulations. Written statements become part of the public record and can be posted online. They may be sent via email or mailed to:

Fort Hancock 21st Century Committee
Gateway National Recreation Area
c/o Office of Business Services
210 New York Avenue
Staten Island, New York 10305

Document Availability

Under FACA, the Committee is required to keep detailed minutes including a record of the persons present at the Committee meetings, and documents received, issued or approved by the Committee. Publicly available documents will be made available on this website.

Informal Working Groups or Subcommittees

To facilitate the work of the Committee, some business may be conducted by informal working groups that will make suggestions to the full Committee as appropriate.

Informal working groups can:

Gather information
Develop work plans
Draft reports
Discuss preliminary findings

Informal working groups cannot:

Function as the de facto parent advisory committee.
Make recommendations to the Committee that are "rubber stamped" without further action or consideration by the full Committee.
Make decisions that are binding on the Committee.
Speak on behalf of the full Committee without prior approval.
Make direct recommendations to the NPS.

As long as there requirements are met, FACA does not require meetings conducted by informal working groups to invite public participation or make public notices.