Camp Evans May Be Epicenter Of Shore Rebuilding Effort

The birthplace of hurricane tracking was given the blessing of the Wall Township Committee to pursue a partnership with organizations spearheading the Sandy recovery effort in the Shore Area.

Camp Evans, the Marconi Road former Army camp, on Wednesday pitched to the Committee the idea of establishing a home base for volunteers helping to rebuild homes and other structures damaged or destroyed in Hurricane Sandy.

Michael Ruane, chair of the board of directors of the InfoAge Science History Center located at the camp, told the committee that there is a need to establish a fixed base for hundreds of volunteers from all over the country who are coming to the Shore Area to assist in the rebuilding effort.

Camp Evans would provide that, Ruane said, in exchange for monthly rent and much needed refurbishing of the deteriorating buildings at the national landmark.

“This gives everyone in Wall Township a chance to know that they were part of the rebuilding of the Shore,’’ said Committeeman George Newberry, liaison to Camp Evans.

InfoAge has been in talks with the Monmouth County Sandy Long Term Recovery Group -- a charitable organization set up in conjunction with FEMA to help with Sandy recovery in the county – to establish a base at the army camp to serve as a housing and staging area for up to 150 volunteers for up to three years, according to Ruane.

Volunteers are part of faith-based and secular aid organizations who are assisting in needed rebuilding of homes destroyed by Sandy, Ruane said. What they lack, however, is a stable location to sleep and where they can practice tasks like installing wallboard, for instance.

Camp Evans, Ruane said, can provide both. Its location is optimal and the Camp’s own need for restoration is great.

“This is a win-win-win situation,’’ said Jeffry Bertrand, township administrator. “The people affected (by Sandy) get help, InfoAge gets help and Wall Township gets help. It’s really a three-way win.’’

Ruane said there are 33,000 people registered with FEMA in Monmouth County and about half, or 16,000 of them earn less than $60,000 and more than 12,000 homes need repair.

The Monmouth County Long Term Recovery Group – made up of charitable organizations such as The United Way, Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity and others – are ready to assist. And they have pledged $300,000 to renovate those portions of Camp Evans they would be using for up to three years, Ruane said.

“I personally find it very hard to say ‘no’ to this,’’ Newberry said.

Camp Evans, although it is Wall Township property, is its own entity and does not necessarily need the official approval of the committee. Wednesday’s pitch was more of an informational session.

But they won over the committee anyway.

“I think this is just a wonderful thing,’’ Committeewoman Ann Marie Conte said.