Plans to address concerns over helicopter pad take flight

OCEANPORT — Complaints are flying fiercely in Oceanport over the helicopter pad at Monmouth Park Corporate Center II, West Long Branch, that is used for commuter flights to New York City.

Last summer residents complained of noise from frequent low flying helicopters that go over the borough en route to New York.

In an attempt to remedy the situation, Mayor Gordon Gemma recently met with Broadcast Helicopter Corp. official Charlie Komar and Oceanport Police Chief Clifford "Kip" Bebout. The meeting served as a brainstorming session designed to determine and direct concerns in an effort to abate a repeat of last year’s summertime disarray and this season’s potential for disaster.

A list of top-flight items for redress include: avoidance of aircraft hovering, reduction in the number of flights per day, restriction of flight times, change of flight patterns to cut down on disruptive noise, and the establishment of a hotline through which complaints could be registered and information provided concerning borough and helicopter pad rights.

These topics will be discussed again in an open forum at Oceanport Borough Hall on May 18 so that an active plan of compromise can be pursued.

Official representatives from affected communities have been invited to attend, and residents from those towns are welcome. Along with Komar, Gemma and Oceanport borough staff, a representative from the Federal Aviation Association will be present to offer advice on legitimate alternatives.