Proposed repair and sales business
criticized by citizen group founder
By:Alec Moore
Two Manville residents are not happy about an airport development application being reviewed by the Hillsborough Planning Board.
At the July 14 Borough Council meeting, Peter and Sally Saharko, founders of a grassroots government watchdog group called TIGER (Truth in Government Expected by Residents), requested that the council take action to block the application.
The council collectively explained to Mr. and Ms. Saharko that the borough does not have the authority to take any formal action to block an application presented to another municipality’s planning board.
The council encouraged Mr. and Ms. Saharko to bring their concerns directly to the Hillsborough Planning Board’s July 17th meeting. Mr. and Ms. Saharko said they were aware of the meeting but had no plans to attend or voice their concerns over the application.
"This is already a done deal," said Ms. Saharko, who believed the Hillsborough Planning Board would turn a deaf ear to her concerns.
The application in question, filed by Hillsborough resident Greg Burchette, outlines plans for the construction of an 8,000-square-foot building on slightly less than 2 acres at the Central Jersey Regional Airport.
The building is intended to house several aviation related businesses at the airport as well as Mr. Burchette’s own Bridgewater Motorworks, an automotive repair facility.
The state Department of Transportation and Hillsborough Planning Board are both looking into Mr. Burchette’s plans for the property.
The Department of Transportation purchased the development rights to the airport in March to bar residential and commercial development on the property and effectively ensure the airport’s survival.
Mr. Burchette declined to comment on the application. Speaking on his client’s behalf, however, Mr. Burchette’s attorney Frank Linnis said that under the airport’s development rights agreement aviation related businesses are permitted. Mr. Linnis said the aviation related businesses his client hopes to house in the proposed building are related to airplane sales and airplane detailing, leaving Department of Transportation officials to decide whether the auto repair shop should also be a permitted on the property.
"The question arises as to whether or not the auto repair facility is compatible with the development rights agreement, but that’s an issue for the DOT, not Hillsborough Township," said Mr. Linnis, who emphasized that in his view all aspects of his client’s application are in line with township zoning ordinances.
"The whole intent of the development agreement is to ensure that the airport remains an airport, but a small auto repair facility is not going to detract from the viability of the airport, it’s going to complement it," said Mr. Linnis.
Anna Farneski, Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said DOT officials plan to review the application, but have yet to decide whether they will give Mr. Burchette a green light for his application.
"We’re very concerned about the development of that property," said Ms. Farneski. "We’re in the process of getting a copy of the application to find out exactly what it entails."
The Hillsborough Planning Board will revisit the application on Oct. 2.