Bedminster board to consider airport plan

Owner seeks to create permanent home for State Police helicopter crew

Airport owner Daniel Walker has delivered an airport master plan -- a blueprint of existing and proposed facilities at the landing strip -- and other supporting documents to the township to continue the approval process, which was derailed by objectors at a Jan. 5 planning board meeting.

"It's our objective to meet the board's requirements, and we're doing that as quickly as we can," said Walker.

Walker is seeking the board's permission to convert a hangar into offices for the Northstar Medevac's crew before Feb. 28, when a permit expires that now allows the airborne medical rescue unit to operate from a trailer at the airport.

A one-time permit extension already was granted by the township committee in August. Walker and helicopter officials declined to say where the crew would go if approval for the converted hangar fails to come through in time.

"I really don't want to speak hypothetically," said Terrence Hoben, the helicopter's medical coordinator. "I really want to focus on the present, the application process and those questions that will be asked going forward."

Planning board chairman Paul Henderson said tonight's 6:30 meeting at town hall will deem whether Walker's application has met all requirements, or is "complete," to continue through the approval process.

If successful, the airport owner already has applied to come back before the board during its Feb. 9 work session meeting to continue with the application process, according to Henderson.

Alan Harwick, head of the Bedminster, Bridgewater, Branchburg Concerned Citizens Coalition, has scrutinized the application. On Jan. 5, Harwick's dogged efforts brought the process to a halt, when he noticed Walker was missing an airport master plan. The plan is required by township ordinance for changes proposed at the landing strip.

Harwick subsequently requested Walker be knocked off tonight's meeting to allow for greater public scrutiny of the documents the airport owner turned in Jan. 19. But continuation of the board's "completeness" review did not require a delay or second public notice period for the application.

Harwick's group, known as the BBBCCC, also filed a lawsuit in the past week to challenge the Bedminster Board of Health's approval of a proposed septic system for the converted hangar. The suit is the fourth filed by the group to stop the state police operation at the airport.

The BBBCCC has complained the helicopter is ruining Bedminster's rural ambience with pollution and noise, and lowering property values. It also has argued that the helicopter's move from University Hospital in Newark to Bedminster a year ago primed Somerset Airport to become a full-fledged State Police base.

The objectors have not had an easy time waging their battle. Harwick said that a courtesy notice from Walker's lawyer, William G. Mennen IV, about the application's return before the board only came days ago. Harwick also was not aware Walker had delivered the airport master plan to the township, despite his contact with local officials.

Harwick insisted there was no urgency to get the application approved, even if the process continues past the expiration of the permit allowing the trailer's use at the airport.

"Medevac and the State Police will not shut down, just because the trailer has to be moved," said Harwick.

Hoben said another special permit would probably be sought if the application is delayed past Feb. 28.

Township Committeeman Finn Caspersen Jr., anticipating such a scenario, requested during the committee's Jan. 17 meeting that Walker and the State Police guarantee only medical rescue missions are flown out of the airport.

The State Police and officials from University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which provides medical services aboard the helicopter, have said the aircraft's primary mission is emergency medical rescue. However, the State Police admitted to the Star-Ledger in December that it also had piggybacked homeland security and law enforcement missions on to the helicopter's flights.

Caspersen said it was only "human nature" that more of the nonmedical flights would come.

Walker and Mennen said it was not the airport's call to answer Caspersen.

Hoben was not present at the meeting when Caspersen made the request, but said he would issue a response when he meets with the township in an "official capacity."

Ralph R. Ortega may be reached at rortega@starledger.com or (908) 429-9925.

By Ralk Ortega
Star-Ledger Staff