PARTNERS @ Solberg - News and Events - STOP the Condemnation of Solberg Airport!

Hoping to resolve the future of Solberg Airport even though negotiations have broken off, the Readington Township Committee on Monday introduced a bond ordinance that would provide $22 million to buy the property. The committee also authorized an appraiser to provide an updated value of the 726-acre tract.

A public hearing on the ordinance will be held Tuesday, Feb. 21 starting at 6:30 p.m. in Holland Brook School, despite repeated pleas by airport co-owner Suzy Solberg Nagle at Monday's committee meeting to postpone the hearing. Nagle, the only partner in Solberg Aviation to attend any of the public meetings held since negotiations broke off last month, said she wants a chance to address residents but will be out of town.

This marks the second time the Township Committee has taken steps to raise funds to buy the property. In August, the committee introduced a similar $22 million bond ordinance after negotiations between the state and the Solbergs ended. However, faced with backlash from many residents who viewed the action as the first step in a condemnation process, the committee then abandoned the ordinance. Six formal negotiation sessions between the township and Solberg Aviation were subsequently held.

Negotiations ended last month with the two sides far apart on three major issues: runway length, the amount of hangar space and the price for the remaining open space. Township officials have clearly stated that expanding the runway beyond its current length of 3,785 feet is unacceptable, while the Solberg family wants to place a limit on future expansion at 5,000 feet total.

Mayor Gerard Shamey said that the bond ordinance and appraisals will allow the township to enter into more structured negotiations with the family. "If we are going to have meaningful discussions, we need to know what the property is worth," he said. "This does not end negotiations. It makes them more formal and shows that we're serious."

In a Feb. 6 letter from the three siblings, including Thor and Lorraine Solberg, presented by Nagle, the family urges the committee to "immediately commence negotiations of the issues anew." They again request the assistance of non-binding mediation, public policy experts and staff and consultants from the state Department of Transportation.

"Inclusion of these insightful resources will keep our discussions 'transparent,' as there will be an independent and objective perspective and record of what is actually transpiring," the family wrote. "A fresh look will help us to define the criteria necessary to satisfy the needs of both the community and general aviation. For the sake of all the residents, we need to move forward as a team -- not as opponents."

In response, both Shamey and Committeewoman Beatrice Muir stated that they are unwilling to go that route, which the mayor said would be a waste of time and money. He is concerned that an arbitrator would simply split the difference of the various aspects of the proposals and says that an outsider wouldn't be fully knowledgeable of the township's long stated planning goals.

When Nagle requested that the committee postpone the meeting, she was told that she could submit a letter that would be read into the record. "We owe the residents some closure in this matter," Muir told her. "The negotiations were nonproductive because of runway length. Now we get a request from you to stretch the process out more."

Committeewoman Julia Allen, who along with Committeeman Frank Gatti represented the township in negotiations, said that there will definitely be future negotiations. "That's what we're preparing for here," she said prior to Monday's meeting. "We're moving from informal negotiations to more formal, serious negotiations. There are things you need to know before you negotiate, the ability to pay and the (property's) value."

According to Allen, the most recent township appraisal, completed in 2001, placed the land's value at $9.5 million, which she acknowledged as being outdated. She said that the highest state appraisal was $18 million in 2002, and that the Solbergs had an appraisal several years ago that valued the land at $40 million.

Date: February 9, 2006 Source: NJ.com
URL: http://www.nj.com/news/hunterdon/index.ssf?/base/news-0/11395171169740.xml&coll=12

STOP the CONDEMNATION of PRIVATE PROPERTY!

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