CAA: GA News, "Officials consider buying New Jersey airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, November 3, 2001  
 
Officials consider buying airport 
Interest has been expressed in the S.J. Regional Airport. The problem?
No one has spoken with the owners.
By Lauren Mayk 
THE PHILADELPHIA (PA) INQUIRER


LUMBERTON - After years of fighting a proposed expansion at South Jersey
Regional Airport, local and county officials are publicly tossing about
the idea of purchasing the small public-use airport.

That way, they say, they could either run it for the length of time
required by state and federal agencies or just close up shop and declare
the area open space.

But if they're serious about the idea, they have two tasks ahead of
them.

The first is a phone call or a visit to airport owners Barbara Snyder or
Bob Matthews. Snyder said that, although Lumberton officials have spoken
at public meetings about their interest in purchasing the airport, sent
out news releases, and talked to the media, no one on the Township
Committee has raised the issue with her.

"They have not contacted us," Snyder said. "We're more than willing to
listen and be part of discussions."

Snyder said that she had talked with Burlington County Freeholder
Director Vincent Farias about the future of the airport, but that they
did not discuss a change in management.

The second task for local officials is getting the blessing of the
Federal Aviation Administration.

The airport has received about $10 million in state and federal funds
over the years. Some of those grants came with a requirement that the
facility remain a public-use airport for a certain number of years.
Grants used by the airport to purchase several hundred acres of land
came, however, with a requirement that the airport remain open "in
perpetuity."

To close the airport, the FAA would have to release the airport owner
from the restrictions of the grants and allow the owner to repay the
money. That decision would be made by the FAA's associate administrator
for airports, said FAA spokesman Jim Peters.

"It's rarely done," Peters said. "It's on a case-by-case basis."

For such a request to be granted, FAA officials must determine that
allowing the owner to be released from the contract and repay the money
would somehow benefit civil aviation. For example, if an airport wanted
to sell a piece of property that had been purchased with grant money and
then put the proceeds from that sale back into the airport, that could
benefit the airport and aviation in the region, Peters said.

About a year ago, Lumberton formed a coalition with the governments of
nearby Hainesport, Mount Laurel and Medford to fight the proposed $23
million expansion of the airport, which would allow larger planes
carrying up to 15 passengers to land there. Those same towns are now
talking about purchasing the airport together using state or federal
grant money, said Lumberton Deputy Mayor Preston Taylor.

Taylor said that, although details had not been discussed, the towns
might be willing to keep the airport open under new ownership but at its
current size.

"Our goal has always been to keep it as a recreational airport," Taylor
said. "Our intention was never to close it down."

However, a plan under discussion by the county calls for closing the
airport business and preserving the site as open space. If that is not
possible, the county might then consider running the airport at its
current size, said county spokesman Ralph Shrom.

The coalition of municipalities has put off talks about acquiring the
airport while the county pursues its plan, Taylor said.

The airport's owners have expressed their willingness to sell the
property.

Some people have asked whether sudden interest by the township and
county is a ploy for next week's political elections, said Taylor, who
was part of a Democratic sweep of the open committee seats last year but
is not up for reelection this year. "I certainly hope it's not," he
said.

   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA General Aviation Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID2

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