Medevac crew to pull into another spot at airport More criticism as crew relocates to Somerset's main terminal to avoid pending eviction

2/23/06

A State Police helicopter crew will move into the main terminal at Somerset Airport next week to avoid being evicted from a temporary trailer that has housed its operations for the past year, officials announced yesterday.

State Police and medical personnel for the Northstar medevac helicopter -- which relocated from University Hospital in Newark to the township -- will move by Tuesday, according to airport and helicopter officials. The move coincides with the expiration of a township-issued permit allowing the trailer's use.

A one-time extension of the permit already had been granted by township officials, who are divided over the helicopter unit's move to Bedminster,
Township Committeeman Kurt Joerger, a leading critic of the State Police helicopter relocation, said word of the crew's impending move into the terminal spread through Bedminster "like wildfire" yesterday.

Joerger protested State Police use of the 60-year-old terminal, saying it lacks the facilities helicopter officials have insisted are necessary and the airport owner has worked to establish since Northstar's arrival at the airport.

"It defies logic," he said.

"Where are the showers?" asked Bridgewater resident Alan Harwick, echoing Joerger's remarks in a separate interview yesterday. Harwick heads a tri-town citizens group -- the Bedminster, Bridgewater, Branchburg Concerned Citizens Coalition -- which has four lawsuits pending to stop the operation from becoming permanent.

Airport owner Dan Walker said the terminal move is temporary, while he seeks planning board approval to convert hangar space into a permanent home to include offices, showers and a kitchenette.

"We will require no permits, no authorizations, other than what we have now," said Walker. "It's entirely legal, while we pursue the application with the planning board."

It was not clear whether the crew would fly to another base, like the one it left behind in Newark, for showers or other accommodations it requires until the new hangar is ready.

Walker's office is in the terminal building, which originally had been a wooden barracks used at Newark Liberty Airport. Walker's father, George Walker, moved the building to Bedminster when he founded Somerset Airport in 1946.
Using the terminal for dual purposes means space will be tight. There is a waiting room with sofas, offices, and no showers or cooking facilities, except a refrigerator and coffee counter.

Walker yesterday said he and the helicopter's crew had no problems sharing the space.

"I think they're anxious to work with us, and we're anxious to work with them," he said. "I think it will work out very well."

Opponents of the State Police flight unit's relocation say the noise and pollution are quickly ruining the rural ambiance of Bedminster, an equestrian haven dotted by riding stables, large estates, and is home to the state's largest planned community, the Hills.

Officials from the State Police and University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which provides medical staff for Northstar, have denied allegations of any negative impact on the area.

Still, objectors criticize program operators, saying they have not been forthcoming about the non-medical functions planned for the helicopter and crew. They argue officials have downplayed the homeland security and law enforcement missions currently being performed using Northstar.

Township meetings that have aired helicopter issues have attracted lawyers representing airport neighbors, including one for media mogul Steve Forbes. But legal hurdles and lawsuits have so far been unsuccessful in halting the aircraft operation.

"I've never seen this much opposition, for this little," said Daniel Bernstein, a land-use attorney assisting Walker in seeking approval for hangar conversion which is about 2,000 square feet.

The planning board revisits Walker's plans a week from today during a meeting at town hall.

After facing fierce scrutiny from objectors, helicopter officials said they worried misinformation was being spread about their efforts. Terrence Hoben, air medical coordinator for the helicopter, deferred comments to a UMDNJ spokeswoman yesterday.

"We will be moving into office space at the airport by Feb. 28, and continue to house aircraft in the hangar. We remain committed to serving the people of New Jersey; we won't let them down," said the spokeswoman, Anna Farneski.

BY RALPH R. ORTEGA
Star-Ledger Staff