As we approach almost a year since the Solbergs’ first public announcement of their Master Plan Update, in November 2023, very little new information has come to light for the public to digest. In reality, the most telling information came from the Township Committee, as discussed in the prior post, and confirmed by a citizen at the public comments section of the July 1, 2024 Township Committee Meeting.
Of great dissapointment, sitting Committee members have taken little or no action to address the purposful ommission of community stakeholders, including members of the governing body, from the Master Planning Citizen’s Action Committee (CAC), since the Solberg’s consultan announced it in December 2023. Their inaction might lead one to believe they are actually tollerant of an airport expansion as opposed to protecting the value of property owners of Readington.
Stepping back, documents confirmed at the July 1st TC meeting, later obtained by a citizen’s OPRA request, reveal that a May 4, 2023 letter from special counsel Richard Cushing advised the Township Committee members of Solberg Airport’s intention to update it’s Master Plan. This notice was maintained by the committee as CONFIDENTIAL for months after the public anouncement of the Solberg plans. The notice did however, prompted a letter on June 8, 2023 from then Mayor Huelsebusch to the NJ Commissioner of Transportation which 1) sought immediate involvement for “the Township” in the devekopment of the Master Plan, 2) provided significant history between the Airport and the Township dating back to the 1997 Master Plan and 3) offered suggestions as to how the parties might work together.
For all intents and purposes Mayor Huelsebusch’s letter appears to have been ignored until just prior to the announcement of the Solberg’s First Public Information Meeting. A response letter from DOT dated November 8, 2023, days before the public announcement of the Solberg’s First Public Information Meeting, advised the Township Committee that the DOT provided a grant to develop a Master Plan and advised that it is the grant recippient’s (Solberg Aviation Company) responsibility to follow FAA guidlines contained in Advisory Circular (AC) 150/5070-6B – Airport Master Plans. The letter further advised that work on the Master Plan began July 1, 2022 and is on schedule to be completed by the end of 2024.
TAKE ACTION – Despite the fact that the DOT’s letter claims multiple public involvement meetings would be held, it is our opinion that it is feasible for the Solbergs to announce the finalization of the Master Plan without having held them. At this point Mayor Adam Mueller*, Deputy Mayor Vincent Panico, Juergen Huelsebusch*, Jonathan Heller and John Albanese, your elected governing body, be called to account for what they have done in the past ten months to protect Readington’s residents from a Solberg Jetport expansion! (* indicates candidates for reelection in November) As best we know today,
- they have done nothing to secure participation in the Citizen’s Action Committee (CAC)
- they have not advised the community of communications of any sort with the Solbergs
- they have not secured support of “their contacts” in support of opposition to the expansion
- nor have they communicated any action to the citizens
You can email Mayor Muller at https://readingtontwpnj.gov/mayor-s-email and ask that he advise other Committee members of your communications. It’s time to take action!