Medevac fight should not be a surprise

1/9/2005

We would have expected representatives of Somerset Airport to take special care in assuring airtight applications related to the permanent relocation of the State Police Medevac operation to Bedminster.

So it was a little surprising last week when opponents of the medevac found a significant deficiency in a proposal to the township Planning Board: no updated airport master plan approved by the Federal Aviation Administration. That's a requirement for an application to convert an airport hangar into medevac offices. The proposal will now have to be resubmitted.

The bigger surprise, however, may have been the reaction of Somerset Airport's attorney, William Mennen, who said complaining about the absence of the master plan was an attempt to "boggle" down the process with "techy-engineer speak."

Now for one thing, an airport master plan isn't exactly obscure minutiae, or whatever might be encompassed by techy-engineer speak. But more importantly, shouldn't it be obvious to everyone as this stage that medevac critics are going to turn over every possible rock in search of something to block the operation's move to the township?

Opponents have been feverish with their objections to medevac, citing fears of resulting noise, pollution and development. The operation's future is at the center of a political storm that has split the community and township officials into warring factions and prompted a recall campaign against one of the leading critics, Committeeman Kurt Joerger.

This fight isn't going to end anytime soon. We would suggest the airport's representatives take a very close look at every detail of their application before trying to move forward again. Even the smallest of potential weaknesses is certain to be exploited.

And the residents of Bedminster -- regardless of where they stand on this issue -- deserve the most complete review possible of the project.