Opposition to that proposal has been strong, and township officials were preparing to initiate condemnation proceedings for the 745-acre tract to force the owners to sell the property to the township. What local officials are said to have had in mind was a combination of open space preservation and commercial development.
Faced with the loss of another airport (50 airports have closed in the Garden State since the early 1950s), the state itself has stepped in, agreeing to buy the facility for some $22 million. The Department of Transportation's plan calls for some improvements to the site, although the runways will not be lengthened, according to Transportation commissioner James Fox. Some 200 acres currently used for farming will be retained as open space, according to Fox.
"Local residents have expressed their desire to preserve the open space and not to extend the runway, and we agree with that," according to Fox. "This action accomplishes both goals while guaranteeing that the airport remains open for general aviation and saving the town from the financial burden of acquiring the property itself."
In terms of preserving the state's system of public use airports, 29 of the existing 49 facilities are currently in private hands, and seven of those are said to be on the market. "The future of many of these facilities is uncertain," Fox says. "We must move to protect our key airports."
One possible hitch in the sale is that the agreement is contingent on the federal government agreeing to pay for up to 90% of the final sale price. If the funding can't be secured by the end of 2003, the sale agreement can be voided.
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