New homes planned for Fort site in Eatontown. November 9, 2026 By Sunayana Prabhu EATONTOWN - Officials from developer Lennar Corporation and the borough broke ground Oct. 21 on a 275-unit housing development at the former Howard Commons site in the Eatontown section of Fort Monmouth. Sales are anticipated to begin in late fall. The new mixed-use development, called The Premiere at Monmouth, is located along Pinebrook and Hope roads. The project will also include an up to 40,000-square-foot commercial component on Hope Road. The nearly 60-acre parcel has been vacant since the former Army base closed in 2011. Howard Commons, built in 1953, was the site of military housing for officers and senior NCOs and included 486 townhomes. The new development will feature 188 market-rate townhomes, 32 single-family homes and 55 affordable housing units. As the former U.S. Army installation transforms into a vibrant community, Mayor Anthony Talerico Jr. recalled the long process to get to this revitalization. "Howard Commons was home to hundreds of military families for years, and it was a significant part of the borough. Unfortunately, when it closed and the families moved out, the homes fell to ill repair, and they basically became blighted," Talerico said. "Over the years it took several different attempts at development to actually have something that sticks." Lennar contracted to purchase the site from FMERA in 2021 and closed on the sale in 2025. The Howard Commons homes "are leveled down now, which is sad to see, but the site is now ready for new homes and new families to move in, and I'm looking forward to seeing that," Talerico said. The Premiere at Monmouth is approximately 5 miles from the ocean and near an expanding mix of shopping, dining, entertainment and employment opportunities, with nearby NJ Transit service and commuter routes to New York City. The community will also be minutes from the future Netflix Studios East campus; the 292-acre production facility is expected to generate significant employment and economic activity in the region. Help Support Its Mission! Any donation of $100 or more, receives a yearly membership to The Two River Times. $100 USD/Year $500 USD/Year $1,000 USD/Year Other Amount

Lennar opens sales at Cameron Pines, a new home community in Ocean Isle Beach. Posted By Scott Vansant @ Nov 6th 2026 11:16am Cameron Pines is a new home community in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, where Lennar has officially begun offering homes for sale in the fall of 2026. The introduction of Cameron Pines adds another new single-family home opportunity to the growing Ocean Isle Beach residential market, bringing Lennar into an area that continues to attract buyers looking for a coastal lifestyle without the congestion and intensity of some of the larger beach destinations along the Carolina coast. Ocean Isle Beach has become increasingly popular with both primary-home buyers and those seeking a second home along the southeastern North Carolina coast. Its appeal comes from a combination of beautiful beaches, a relaxed coastal atmosphere, and a distinctly smaller-town character. Wide sandy beaches, relatively gentle surf, scenic marshlands, and access to boating, fishing, and golf all contribute to the area's appeal. At the same time, residents enjoy waterfront restaurants, local shops, and convenient access to neighboring communities throughout Brunswick County and the greater Grand Strand region. This balance of coastal recreation and everyday convenience continues to make Ocean Isle Beach an attractive location for new residential development. Lennar is the builder in Cameron Pines, with plans indicating a development of approximately 124 single-family homesites across an approximately 48.90-acre property. The community represents another addition to Lennar's growing presence in the coastal Carolina new-home market, where the builder has introduced a number of residential developments offering a variety of home designs and price points. Cameron Pines is conveniently located just off Old Georgetown Road SW in Ocean Isle Beach. Its proximity to the established Cameron Woods community is also worth noting. During the project's earlier approval and planning stages, Cameron Pines was known as Enclave at Cameron Woods, a name that reflected its relationship to the neighboring development. The project has since moved forward under its current name, Cameron Pines, and is now entering the home sales phase. Lennar is introducing six floor plan offerings at Cameron Pines. Buyers familiar with Lennar's nearby developments may recognize similarities to some of the home designs offered in communities such as Hunters Trace and Warner Crossing. The six available designs provide buyers with several different home configurations to consider as sales get underway. Albany - The Albany floor plan in Cameron Pines is a single-family home with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and approximately 1,247 square feet of living space. This single-story home features a convenient laundry room near the foyer, while in the main living space is a contemporary open layout that leads out to the back patio through sliding doors. In the other half of the home are all three bedrooms, including the owner's suite with an attached full-sized bathroom. At the front is a versatile two-car garage for storage space. As of November 2026, Lennar is pricing the Albany floor plan in Cameron Pines from $275,000. Annapolis - The Annapolis floor plan in Cameron Pines is a single-family home with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and approximately 1,416 square feet of living space. This single-story home features a convenient laundry room near the foyer, while in the main living space is a contemporary open layout that leads out to the back patio through sliding doors. In the other half of the home are all three bedrooms, including the owner's suite with an attached full-sized bathroom. At the front is a versatile two-car garage for storage space. As of November 2026, Lennar is pricing the Annapolis floor plan in Cameron Pines from $299,000. Savannah - The Savannah plan in Cameron Pines is a single-family home with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and approximately 1,616 square feet of living space. This two-story home features a family room and modern kitchen that melds together to promote seamless everyday living, along with an entrance to the backyard for outdoor activities. Upstairs are all three bedrooms, including the owner's suite with an en-suite bathroom and generous walk-in closet. As of November 2026, Lennar is pricing the Savannah floor plan in Cameron Pines from $301,000. Dover - The Dover floor plan in Cameron Pines is a single-family home with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and approximately 1,520 square feet of living space. This single-story home features two bedrooms and a bathroom located at the front of the home, while the open kitchen, breakfast area and family room flow to the backyard with adjacent sliding doors. At the back of the home is the owner's suite with a full-sized bathroom. As of November 2026, Lennar is pricing the Dover floor plan in Cameron Pines from $309,000. Harrisburg - The Harrisburg plan in Cameron Pines is a single-family home with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and approximately 1,779 square feet of living space. In this new single-story home, the foyer extends to an open living space in the kitchen, dining room and a family room with sliding doors leading to the patio. There are four bedrooms in total to provide family members with their own restful haven. The owner's suite is comprised of a bedroom, attached bathroom and walk-in closet. Rounding out the home is a convenient two-car garage for versatile storage space. As of November 2026, Lennar is pricing the Harrisburg floor plan in Cameron Pines from $331,000. Hartford - The Hartford plan in Cameron Pines is a single-family home with 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a 2 car garage and approximately 1,886 square feet of living space. This single-story home features an open space layout in the kitchen, family room and dining room that extends to the patio for outdoor living. Near the foyer are three bedrooms and a full-sized bathroom, while the owner's suite with an attached bathroom is tucked away from the rest for extra privacy. Rounding out the layout is a convenient two-car garage. As of November 2026, Lennar is pricing the Hartford floor plan in Cameron Pines from $341,000. Post a comment. Email not published - will display gravatar if available

Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance calls on SAWS to exercise watershed protection authority in Guajolote Ranch case. Alliance requests review of water-service commitments and offers to coordinate preservation opportunities to protect the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers Nov. 3, 2026 - The Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance today called on the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) Board of Trustees to examine and exercise its lawful authority to protect drinking-water resources threatened by the proposed Guajolote Ranch wastewater project in northwest Bexar County. Specifically, alliance president Emory Bluhm asked the board to direct a review of whether SAWS has authority to pause new water-service commitments or extensions under its Guajolote Ranch Utility Services Agreement while these environmental risks are evaluated. The alliance believes SAWS has that authority, citing an Aug. 5, 2024, court filing by SAWS' attorney stating that the city has statutory authority under Texas Local Government Code §551.002 to protect the watersheds supplying drinking water to SAWS customers. In addition, San Antonio's Edwards Aquifer Protection Ordinance assigns SAWS responsibilities for administering and enforcing aquifer protection requirements. Meanwhile, while the state has approved the project's wastewater permit, it is under judicial review in district court. Pausing until all appeals are exhausted also makes sense, the alliance says, before the utility continues to spend taxpayer money to lay lines for a development that might not be built. Lennar Homes wants to build 2,900 homes on 1,160 acres of Guajolote Ranch and build the wastewater plant that would release an average of 1 million gallons a day of treated sewage into the Helotes Creek watershed, which recharges up to 15% of the Edwards Aquifer. "We believe protecting our drinking water is among government's most fundamental responsibilities, and that this board has an important role in fulfilling that responsibility," Bluhm said, in public comments during the board's meeting today. View Bluhm's presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrrjM8v3S08 Scientific findings raise concerns about wastewater disposal A 2020 study by Southwest Research Institute, funded through San Antonio's Edwards Aquifer Protection Plan, evaluated the potential effects of additional wastewater systems in the Helotes Creek watershed. The study's modeling predicted that additional wastewater systems, regardless of disposal method, would significantly degrade the watershed and the quality of water recharging the Edwards Aquifer. These findings raise important questions about whether regulatory permitting adequately addresses the long-term protection of the region's drinking-water resources. And it more than warrants action under either the city's statutory authority or aquifer protection ordinance, or both. Read the complete Southwest Research Institute report. Bluhm emphasized that residents have spent nearly six years pursuing scientific, regulatory and legislative avenues to protect the Helotes Creek watershed and the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers. "Our alliance has done what citizens can do," he told the board. "But citizens cannot exercise the authority entrusted to government." Extraordinary bipartisan opposition Through sustained community organizing, the alliance helped bring together opposition from elected officials across party lines. Four Texas state senators and 10 state representatives, of both parties, formally opposed the wastewater permit. Bexar County Commissioners Court unanimously adopted a resolution supporting rehearing of the permit. The San Antonio City Council unanimously opposed the proposed Guajolote Ranch Municipal Utility District. Despite this extraordinary bipartisan opposition, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved the wastewater permit, still being challenged. Meanwhile, development-related authorizations have continued, including multiple Southern Edwards Plateau Habitat Conservation Plan (SEP-HCP) approvals, tree permits, floodwater and stormwater permits and transportation-impact mitigation plans through San Antonio processes, along with subdivision plat approvals through Bexar County. These approvals involve different agencies and legal requirements. Collectively, however, they demonstrate that the development process continues despite the unresolved concerns raised by residents and elected officials. The alliance maintains that residents have pursued the conventional avenues available to them and that additional preventive action now deserves consideration by institutions possessing governmental authority. SAWS' watershed-protection authority As the SAWS attorney has asserted the city's authority to protect watersheds supplying municipal drinking water, and the city's Edwards Aquifer Protection Ordinance requires SAWS to administer and enforce aquifer-protection measures, the alliance respectfully asks SAWS to acknowledge these responsibilities. And to publicly clarify how its watershed-protection authority applies to Guajolote Ranch. "We believe protecting our drinking water is a fundamental responsibility of government, and more specifically, this board," Bluhm said. The publicly available document identified as DRAFT - Utility Services Agreement USA-26994, describes Guajolote Ranch as being within SAWS' water Certificate of Convenience and Necessity (CCN), but outside its wastewater CCN. For purposes of the alliance's request, the draft is being treated as a working representation of the agreement's executed terms, subject to confirmation against the signed version. The alliance is not asking SAWS to disregard existing legal obligations. Rather, it seeks a prompt review of the agreement, applicable law and available preventive measures before environmental damage occurs. The alliance also requested a written response and public board discussion identifying SAWS' authority, available actions and intended next steps. An opportunity for cooperation and preservation The alliance emphasized its willingness to work constructively with SAWS, including exploring preservation opportunities that could provide long-term protection for sensitive watershed lands. "Regulation determines whether the boxes have been checked. Stewardship asks whether the resource has been protected," Bluhm told the board. "Our alliance stands ready to work alongside SAWS, bringing together our community's commitment and the preservation opportunities we can help coordinate with SAWS' authority and expertise. Together, we can protect the drinking water our communities depend upon, today and for generations to come." Public documents and supporting information Scientific research Elected-official opposition SAWS authority and water-service commitments Development authorizations and public proceedings About the Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance The Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) group representing the largest neighborhood by square mile recognized by the San Antonio Neighborhood & Housing Services Department, a wide corridor along Scenic Loop Road from Bandera Road to north of Babcock Road. Steve Lee, Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance, 210-415-2402 (text), [email protected] Emory Bluhm, president, Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek alliance, [email protected] Randy Neumann, chair, Guajolote Ranch Steering Committee, Scenic Loop-Helotes Creek Alliance, 210-867-2826 (cell/text), [email protected]