Both Jersey Shore towns where Netflix plans to start building a massive production studio next year have started giving the media company the green lights it needs to move forward.
Netflix has been progressing through a lengthy approval process to develop a $903 million film and television production studio at Fort Monmouth, a 289-acre former Army base in Monmouth County.
As of Monday, the company is another step closer to launching the first phase of its multi-part project, after the borough of Eatontown’s planning board approved its site plans.
“We are pleased that the Eatontown Planning Board sanctioned plans for Netflix Studios Fort Monmouth’s first phase, and we look forward to our continued collaboration with local officials and the community to bring this studio to life,” a Netflix spokesperson said Monday.
Netflix revealed the initial phase of its two-part project to Oceanport Borough’s planning board last month, which includes four soundstages on the site’s 29-acre McAfee Zone. While most of this zone is located in Oceanport, about three acres lie in neighboring Eatontown, including plans for an existing bowling center built in 1965.
According to the site plans presented to Eatontown, the bowling alley will be demolished to make way for a stormwater management system.
Other elements approved by the borough Monday covered roadway improvements, guardhouses, landscaping and lighting, according to Eatontown Mayor Anthony Talerico.
Compared to what will come to the board next year, the plans cleared by Eatontown were relatively small and did not include any buildings.
The second, larger application is expected to feature eight soundstages and other studio facilities. It is slated to be reviewed by the borough in mid-2025, according to the mayor.
Last month, Oceanport cleared a larger portion of Netflix’s proposal, since most of the company’s first phase of development is located within Oceanport boundaries.
According to the plans shown at Oceanport’s meeting, Netflix wants to transform the McAfee Zone into a campus for actors and production crews. The development will include two 22,000-square-foot soundstages, as well as twin soundstages totaling 83,555 square feet.
The company will also build production support offices, a warehouse and mill building on the complex, according to the final site plans.
Fort Monmouth’s McAfee Zone, built in 1977, once played a key role in military and communication advancements. The area currently houses the 90,000-square-foot, two-story McAfee Center, along with 15 buildings, a warehouse, and office spaces.
But before anything can be built, Netflix must also secure approvals from the Monmouth County Planning Board and other local authorities, officials said.
Both Monmouth County boroughs made conditions and modifications to Netflix’s development application before voting to move it forward.
For instance, the proposed studio displays the media company plans to incorporate into the project were not approved because Netflix did not submit images or renderings for Eatontown to review.
While officials are sure the displays will be aesthetically pleasing, they decided to wait for Netflix to submit the panels in a future application for approval, according to Mayor Talerico.
Netflix faced more pushback at Oceanport’s planning board meeting last month, where local officials raised concerns about the size of signs and billboards, the site’s aesthetics and potential issues with traffic and noise, before ultimately approving the application.
At the meeting, a traffic study showed about 600 vehicles will enter and exit the campus daily at peak times. Also, production buildings in the zone will operate from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays, with potential late-night work on weekends.
The two phases must be completed within eight years from the deal’s closure, according to preliminary site plan approvals. Once finished, the entire production studio will include 12 soundstages, office buildings, a cafeteria, retail shops and studio trailer parks. A helipad, theater, hotel and visitor attractions are also planned, according to site plans.
Prior to going to the local planning boards, Netflix received a conceptual review approval letter earlier this year from the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority board, the governing body that oversees the fort.
“The approvals by the planning boards of Eatontown & Oceanport marks another set of milestones in a multi-year project that stands to make a lifelong impact...and we’re eager to see demolition underway,” Kara Kopach, the board’s executive director said in a statement.
“The landscape of the Fort will look drastically different next year and the project will continue to gain momentum,” Kopach said.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.