Authority convenes to discuss Fort Monroe's fate
Virginian-Pilot
By Linda McNattMay 22, 2007
HAMPTON — The group charged with deciding the fate of historic Fort Monroe met for the first time Monday.
The fort, which has been around since 1609, is slated to close by September 2011, under the guidelines of the Base Realignment and Closure decision in 2005.
The state and the city of Hampton have been working together to pave the way for the negotiations, said Preston Bryant, Virginia’s secretary of Natural Resources, who was elected Monday as chairman of the Fort Monroe Federal Area Development Authority.
“We’re operating within a very complex set of circumstances, and we have complex budgets to work through,” Bryant said after the three-hour meeting. “We’re looking at historic preservation and environmental cleanup. We have every incentive to stay on schedule.”
The committee is made up of five Cabinet members, including Bryant, four state legislators, seven people appointed by the Hampton City Council and two members with experience in historic preservation.
The new committee, created by an act of the General Assembly, follows the work of the Hampton Federal Area Development Authority. The original group recommended redeveloping the fort with houses and offices, but there were too many objections to that plan.
Bryant said the new group plans to take up the reuse plan for the fort at its next meeting June 18. He said Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has directed them to recognize the history of the fort, “pay great homage” to public access and pay special attention to the facility’s continued economic viability.
One of the board’s first actions, after electing officers and approving a budget , was to sign a memorandum of agreement with the state and the city of Hampton.
The closing of the fort would take the facility out of the hands of the federal government and likely pass it on to the state. Both the state and the city will review the reuse plans.
Only Del. Tom Gear, R-Hampton, objected to signing the agreement, saying he had not had time to review the document. He abstained from the vote.
One local group wants to see the 570-acre Army post – which features a moat and an underground prison that once housed Confederate President Jefferson Davis after the Civil War – used as a national park.
Most agree the Hampton landmark is too historic to be used solely for housing. There are also environmental concerns that could put it on a federal cleanup list. If that happens, any plans could be delayed and the Army would take responsibility for the environmental issues.
“We really do believe that the historic resources here are of paramount importance,” Kathleen Kilpatrick, director of the Department of Historic Resources, said Monday. “ Fort Monroe is a national historic landmark. It’s military history, social history. It was a significant milestone in our journey to achieving rights for all Americans.”
The fort was a place during the Civil War where slaves sought refuge, with many eventually joining the Union Army.
Saunders Marshall told the board during the public comment period that he had an idea for using at least part of the old fort. Marshall, a World War II veteran from Norfolk, said he’d like to see the facility’s newer offices renovated for use as a veterans’ home.Reach Linda McNatt at (757) 222-5561 or linda.mcnatt@pilotonline.com(Home)