"I'm outraged that the National Park Service would go ahead and give Sandy Hook Partners another six-month extension on phase one of its Fort Hancock revitalization project. Sandy Hook Partners has had more than enough time to come up with phase one funding. It's also ludicrous that the National Park Service is using a lawsuit filed last week as a reason for the extension. If Sandy Hook Partners can't secure the funding in the face of a lawsuit, then it's unlikely that they'll ever be able to complete their obligation.

"One would think two extensions would serve as a wake-up call to the National Park Service that the Wassel plan simply will not work. I'm baffled as to why the National Park Service continues to have confidence in this failed plan. If it takes Sandy Hook Partners more than one year to come up with funding for phase one, why should the National Park Service not think they'll have problems coming up with the funding for the other two phases?

"When this lease agreement was signed in July, I voiced concern over the long timeframe of five years given to Sandy Hook Partners to complete their work on all 36 buildings. This extension reconfirms my fears that Wassel is going to have an extremely difficult time coming up with the funding.

"The National Park Service knew that a lawsuit was likely if they did not sit down with Wassel's opponents and try to work out an alternative. I warned them repeatedly that a lawsuit was likely unless they were willing to work with Save Sandy Hook.

"It's time the National Park Service faces reality and terminates its agreement with Sandy Hook Partners. Then we can come together to find an acceptable middle ground that would save these historic buildings, but not over-commercialize Fort Hancock.

"As for the current condition of many of these buildings, I commend the National Park Service for its decision to weatherize 20 structures to protect them from further damage this winter. In August, I urged the National Park Service to take this action, fearing that if these steps were not taken, our efforts to preserve these buildings would be severely hampered. I'm hopeful these measures will protect these buildings through the winter months."