The Readington Township Committee last night approved borrowing $22 million that could be used to acquire Solberg Airport, even as the mayor said the town is not contemplating an acquisition at this time.
"This is not an eminent domain ordinance," Mayor Gerard Shamey said. "It’s a bond ordinance."
Shamey said the bond ordinance "is necessary to have continuing negotiations" with Thor Solberg, Lorraine Solberg and Suzanne Solberg Nagle, the siblings who own the airport. But he indicated the township will never budge on the main sticking point in negotiations: the length of the primary runway.
"Any expansion of this runway will pave the way for corporate jets and forever change the face of this town," Shamey said.
The runway is licensed for 3,735 feet, 3,000 feet of which is paved, and the Solbergs have said they want to be able to lengthen it to 5,000 feet.
Just how long the Solbergs want the runway wasn’t made any clearer by Thor Solberg, who was handing out fliers to people at the meeting last night in which he said the family’s goal is "to try to keep it the way it is, a community airport." The flier also contained a statement saying: "Solberg is NOT planning any changes."
Thor Solberg, speaking at last night’s meeting, said any expansion is not imminent.
"We can’t make a change without a lot of red tape," he said, "none of which is in process and not the least of which is approval of a site plan from Readington Township."
The ordinance would allow the township to borrow $22 million to buy the property or acquire conservation restrictions or development rights for some or part of the property.
Thor Solberg questioned why the township needed to pass the bond issue to continue talking with the Solbergs.
"As far as the bond is concerned, it’s not needed for us to negotiate in good faith with the township," he said. "It’s only needed for the use of eminent domain."
Township Committeewoman Julia Allen said the township could recoup some of the money through state grants or low-interest loans.
Committeeman Frank Gatti said if the township succeeded in getting open space funding from the state, the impact on a house assessed at $400,000 would be $60 per year. If the township got no state or county assistance, the impact on the same house would be $55 a year for the first three years and $165 per year after that.
The committee also already hired a lawyer who specializes in land use and eminent domain to work with it to get appraisals on the 750-acre parcel on which the airport is located.
The value of the airport has ranged from a $9.5 million appraisal commissioned by the township to a $42 million estimate obtained by the Solbergs.
Shamey said he’s not interested in the suggestion that an impartial mediator be called in to work out the differences between the Solbergs and the township.
"I am 100 percent opposed," Shamey said, explaining a mediator would try to "split the difference" between the two sides.
"I don’t want to hand this off to someone else," he said. "Readington should plan Readington."
Township resident Ray Vernon said the people of the township should be allowed to decide whether to borrow the money "rather than the people up there who are lying to us."
Another resident, Larry Liskovec, said he wanted to see the township bring this ongoing controversy to a conclusion.
"I would be willing to pay 10 times in taxes the amount you were talking about," Liskovec said. He said he bought a house in the township nine years ago, but would not have if he knew the airport would be expanded.
Township officials introduced a similar bond ordinance last year, but they abandoned it after hundreds of residents packed the municipal building for a meeting. They then announced they would start good-faith negotiations with the Solbergs. Those talks fell apart in January.
The township initiated eminent domain proceedings in 2001, but in 2002, the state Department of Transportation stepped in with a $22 million offer of its own. The Solbergs’ deal with the DOT fell through last summer.
Staff writer Jennifer Weiss contributed to this report. Matthew Reilly works in the Hunterdon County bureau. He may be reached at mreilly@starledger.com or (908) 782-8326.
Copyright © 2006 NJ.com
Date: February 22, 2006 Source: NJ.com
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