Fort Ord Reuse Authority

Fort Ord Reuse Authority
Name	Fort Ord Reuse Authority
Formation	1994
Type	Joint powers authority
Headquarters	Seaside, California
Region served	Monterey County, California

Fort Ord Reuse Authority

The Fort Ord Reuse Authority is a joint powers authority created to coordinate the redevelopment of the former Fort Ord base on the Monterey Peninsula, balancing land transfer, planning, remediation, and economic conversion with stakeholders including the City of Seaside, City of Monterey, Monterey County, and federal agencies such as the United States Army, Department of Defense, and Environmental Protection Agency. The agency worked closely with educational institutions like California State University, Monterey Bay, conservation groups such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and transportation entities including the Monterey–Salinas Transit to facilitate reuse of lands for residential, commercial, institutional, and open-space purposes.

History

The reuse process began after the Base Realignment and Closure decisions in the early 1990s that directed closure of Fort Ord and transfer of property via mechanisms set by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission. Local leaders formed the joint powers authority in 1994 to implement the Fort Ord Reuse Plan in coordination with the Presidio of Monterey, Naval Postgraduate School, and federal land transfer programs such as the Title 10 transfer and the General Services Administration disposal processes. The agency navigated complex interactions with the California Coastal Commission, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District while responding to litigation involving groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council and regulatory oversight from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board.

Governance and Organizational Structure

The agency was structured as a joint powers authority with a board composed of elected officials from the City of Seaside, City of Marina, City of Monterey, City of Salinas, and the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, as well as ex officio representatives from the California State University System and federal partners including the Department of the Interior. The board interface involved coordination with planning staff, legal counsel versed in Federal Acquisition Regulation implications, environmental consultants aligned with National Priorities List procedures, and finance teams managing instruments like community facilities districts and tax increment mechanisms similar to redevelopment agency practices. Interagency memoranda and agreements linked the authority to regional bodies such as the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and the Monterey County Workforce Investment Board.

Land Use Planning and Development

The reuse authority implemented the comprehensive reuse plan allocating parcels for institutions like California State University, Monterey Bay, residential projects, retail centers near California State Route 1, and technology-oriented sites intending to attract firms similar to those in Silicon Valley and the Defense Innovation Unit. Planning work referenced the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development standards, coordinated with the Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District, and used environmental constraints from the Fort Ord Natural Resources Plan to designate lands for commercial, mixed-use, and affordable housing aligned with Low-Income Housing Tax Credit financing models. Development involved entitlements complying with the California Environmental Quality Act and required collaboration with utility providers such as Pacific Gas and Electric Company and regional water agencies like the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District.

Environmental Remediation and Cleanup

Remediation addressed unexploded ordnance and contamination overseen by the United States Army in coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. Cleanup efforts followed protocols similar to those under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and were informed by ecological assessments from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service for habitat-sensitive areas. The process required long-term monitoring plans, coordination with academic researchers from institutions such as Stanford University and University of California, Santa Cruz, and grant-seeking from federal programs like the Department of Defense Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program to ensure safe transfer of parcels to entities including the Bureau of Land Management and local park districts.

Economic Impact and Community Benefits

Redevelopment generated jobs and tax base changes affecting local employers like the Monterey County Office of Education and businesses tied to Monterey Bay tourism, while facilitating workforce training collaborations with the Monterey Peninsula College and regional trade groups such as the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership. Housing projects sought to address shortages cited by the California Housing Partnership Corporation and leveraged federal programs administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and state housing agencies like the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The authority pursued economic diversification to reduce reliance on defense-sector employment connected to installations like the Presidio of Monterey and to attract sectors similar to those represented by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and regional biotech incubators.

Transportation and Infrastructure

Infrastructure planning coordinated roadway improvements along routes including Interstate 880-area connectors and regional transit coordination with Monterey–Salinas Transit and Caltrans District 5 for enhanced access to sites adjacent to Highway 68 (California). Utilities were planned with providers such as Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, and funding mechanisms included federal transportation grants administered by the Federal Highway Administration and regional allocations via the Metropolitan Transportation Commission-style planning governments. Bicycle and pedestrian connectivity tied into regional trails like the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail and transit-oriented development concepts used by municipalities such as the City of Salinas.

Parks, Recreation, and Conservation

Large portions of the former installation were converted to open space and parkland in partnership with the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, the Bureau of Land Management, and the California Department of Parks and Recreation, preserving habitats for species monitored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Native Plant Society. Recreation assets include trail networks used by organizations such as the American Hiking Society and educational programs linked to California State University, Monterey Bay and the Monterey Bay Aquarium for coastal and terrestrial conservation interpretation. Conservation easements and habitat restoration projects employed best practices promoted by the Nature Conservancy and regional land trusts to protect dunes, coastal scrub, and grassland ecosystems characteristic of the former Fort Ord landscape.

Category:Monterey County, California