Oceanport Planning Board Worried About Overnight Filming From Netflix
Business & Tech
Oceanport Planning Board Worried About Overnight Filming From Netflix Several Oceanport Planning Board members raised concerns about noise, lighting and overnight/outdoor filming from Netflix.OCEANPORT, NJ — At their Tuesday night meeting, several Oceanport Planning Board members raised concerns about noise, lighting and the overnight and outdoor filming Netflix said they could do at Fort Monmouth.
Netflix's presentation to the Board lasted nearly four hours; the public can watch it here .
In total, Netflix plans to 12 "soundstages" or film studio buildings at Fort Monmouth. However, the area Netflix plans to develop first is what they call the "McAfee Parcel."
The McAfee Parcel is 29 acres bordered by Cheryl Avenue to the north, Brewer Avenue to the west and Avenue of Memories along the south. It butts up against the towns of Oceanport and Eatontown.
The McAfee Parcel is where Netflix plans to build first, with construction planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2025 or early 2026, said Netflix senior project manager Kenneth Falcon, who gave the presentation Tuesday.
Netflix said it expects the McAfee Parcel will accommodate hundreds of actors and set crews at a time, and filming could happen around the clock, through the nighttime hours. Netflix also said they could do outdoor filming on site.
"How do you go about controlling noise for that kind of filming?" asked one Planning Board member. "I mean, inside you say you have soundproof stages, but how do you control noise for outdoor filming?"
"We follow the noise ordinances of New Jersey or the local boroughs on whatever the noise ordinances for that specific location," replied Falcon.
"I think the only thing that I think everyone's under a little sticker shock on this is it's kind of misleading. I think, for all of us, that we've set times being presented to us at 5 (a.m.) to 11 (p.m.)," Planning Board member Darren Davis then said. "But it's now a 24-hour facility, so now these hours that have been presented to us are non-existent. Now we've got a 24-hour facility ... I mean, there has to be some sort of limitations put in place for some of these operations that are in there."
"It's being portrayed as something else than was originally stated," said the Planning Board member.
Davis also suggested the towns of Oceanport and Eatontown limit the hours when Netflix can shoot outside, and limit filming at night.
"Can you not do it at 2 a.m. and do it at 10 a.m. or 10 p.m.?" he asked.
The Netflix project manager responded that "the (McAfee) parcel, again, (will be) behind secure perimeter walls that are eight to 10 feet tall. There could be occasional filming outdoors, but again, we would have to comply with the noise ordinance of both the state and of the boroughs.
He also said all filming done indoors is in a production set, which is soundproof.
"There could be occasional filming outdoors, but again, we would have to comply with the noise ordinance of both the state and of the boroughs. And I don't think that it's going to be on a frequent basis either," said Falcon.
The closest home sits 380 feet from the boundary line of the McAfee Parcel.
"So I'm not an expert here, But practically, I don't think that any sort of neighbor would have would know the difference whether there was filming outdoors or indoors," said Falcon. "But again, they would have to comply with all the regulations, as would anybody else in the borough."
There will be an 8-10 foot wall around the entire Netlfix McAfefe property, with a gate and 24/7 secuirty. Seucirty will be very tightlycontroled and nobody will be allowed on Netflix property without permission to be there.
I think it terms of limiting what everyone see wh i dont think there's any need fo rthem to be lit up overnight, said one
What Netflix plans to build first at Fort Monmouth:
Netflix plans to build a total of four film stages on the McAfee parcel (a film stage, also known as a sound stage, is a large, soundproof building or room with high ceilings and large doors that's used to produce television and film):
"If you've ever seen the Bridgerton show, there is a large 10 ,000 square foot warehouse that they have just for her wigs," said Falcon.
Construction on all of this would not start until the end of 2025, or the winter of 2026, said Netflix. Construction would last approximately one year from its start date.
Netflix needs approval from the Oceanport Planning/Zoning Board on all of these proposals.
