Solberg fight will only get worse
Courier News Opinion

It's a shame for everyone involved that the negotiations between Readington Township and the owners of Solberg Airport over the future of the airport fell apart this week.

That means this battle is going to get a whole lot uglier before there's any resolution.

Where the blame lies for this depends on whom you talk to, of course, with both sides more than willing to deny responsibility. But what's undeniable here is that possible future expansion of the facility is the sticking point. The township insists airport owner Thor Solberg has grand plans to lengthen runways and greatly increase the amount and size of aircraft coming in and out of the airport. Solberg counters with assurances to the contrary, but township officials simply don't trust him.

Regardless, however, it now seems likely that the township will consider more aggressive action to bring the airport under its control, which may mean condemnation and an attempt at seizing the land through eminent domain. We hope it doesn't get to that. A miss for both sides.

Date: January 21, 2006 Source: NJ.com