Residents speak out against expansion

By ANDREA EILENBERGER
The Express-Times

READINGTON TWP. -- The community had been in the dark about negotiations between township officials and Solberg Aviation since they began Sept. 8, but officials provided a summary of each of the seven meetings during Tuesday night's meeting.

A crowd of about 200 turned out to the Holland Brook School to learn more from the officials and their team of professionals Tuesday night about the owners' proposal to expand the airport. Several residents spoke of the township's rural quality and their desire to maintain it. Others residents spoke about property value and safety concerns.

"There's not a person in this room who wants to change the Solberg family's way of life," said resident Eric Zwerling. "But none of us want an expanded Solberg Airport to change our way of life either."

The airport is owned by siblings Suzanne Solberg Nagle, Thor Solberg Jr. and Lorraine Solberg.

Resident Paul Mason said the expansion proposal worried him, and he hoped he wouldn't see another "Morristown (airport) in the middle of the township."

That airport has a main runway length of about 6,000 feet and handles more air traffic than the Solberg airport, according to aviation professional Richard Golaszewski.

According to a presentation Committeeman Frank Gatti made Tuesday, officials' initial "means of achieving" the township's objectives were to acquire the entire 726 acre property. That purchase included the airport, which is about 75 acres, and about 650 acres of open space, according to the presentation.

Under that plan, the township would "contract out management and operation of the airport," and make safety improvements only to benefit current aircraft types, Gatti said.

The Solbergs initially maintained neither the airport nor the property were for sale and acknowledged an unspecified development plan, Gatti said. They also wanted to the open space to remain unrestricted.

On Sept. 22, the Solbergs proposed expanding the runway up to 5,600 feet long, which could handle jet traffic, Gatti said. They proposed the township would preserve half of the open space, 350 acres, for an undisclosed price through a deed restriction.

On Dec. 4, officials countered with a proposal to retain existing runway length with necessary improvements and to preserve all of the open space.

The Solbergs responded that a runway length less than 5,600 feet was a "non-starter," Gatti said.

On Dec. 17, they trimmed the runway length to 5,000 feet but officials' subsequent proposals have maintained it at a maximum of 3,735 feet.

Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.

© 2006 The Express-Times.

Date: January 19, 2006 Source: Pennlive.com
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