For decades the sandy towers of Fort Ord's dunes have delighted travelers chugging along Highway 1. But it has been a one-sided view.

The other side of the dunes, part of four miles of coastline from Sand City to Marina, was used for Army target practice, so the area was closed to the public.

Though the gunfire ended when Fort Ord closed in 1994, the area is still off-limits.

But that is about to change as the California Department of Parks and Recreation prepares to take over the 886 acres of Fort Ord property from the U.S. Department of Defense early next year. The plan is to open the area as Fort Ord Dunes State Park.

Exactly when a park could open, considering the state's budget problems, is unknown, said Ken Gray, a specialist with the state parks system who is also a Marina City Council member.

"Nothing has been budgeted... It is not something that can happen quickly," Gray said.

Before much of anything can happen, the department has to develop a general plan for the park and an environmental impact report and submit it to the California Department of Parks and Recreation Commission for approval.

Tonight the department starts the planning process by holding the first of several public hearings on how the property should be used and any concerns about the conversion, Gray said.

Gray said among the ideas under consideration are public beach access, overnight camping and a recreation trail.

"There is a huge demand for camping along the coastline and there aren't any coastal campgrounds in Monterey."

Before the property can be turned over to the state, the Army has to make sure there aren't any explosives in the area, said Gail Youngblood, environmental coordinator for Fort Ord Base Realignment and Closure Cleanup team. That testing is expected to be completed by early 2004, Youngblood said.

The Army has already spent $10 million to remove lead left behind by the target-practice bullets.

There is also the matter of Stilwell Hall, teetering atop eroding bluffs in the park area. The Stilwell Hall Preservation Society has vowed to save the dilapidated former soldier's club. One proposal is to move the 52,000-square-foot building to a spot near First Avenue to serve as a train depot for future train service between Monterey and San Francisco.

Attempts to contact the Army and representatives of the Stilwell Hall Preservation Society for a status report were unsuccessful.

Whatever the fate of Stilwell Hall, Gray said the federal government has agreed the building will be excluded from state park territory.

Also still standing on the park site is an abandoned sewage plant, which is to be turned over to the Marina Coast Water District for possible use as a desalination plant, Gray said.

There are a dozen underground bunkers on the property and a number of other buildings associated with the target ranges. One hundred abandoned buildings still occupy the area, said state parks officials.

Any plans for development would have to be in sync with the base-wide habitat management plan. Parking will be a big concern since, under that plan, 700 acres have to be preserved as open space.

The area is home to the Smith's blue butterfly and the Western snowy plover, both considered endangered.

"There will have to be balance between protecting habitat and providing access," Gray said.