COURTHOUSE — The Montgomery County Planning Commission will be crafting responses to pointed questions from the Horsham Land Reuse Authority (HLRA) about the county’s interest in developing an executive airport at Willow Grove air base.
In March, Navy and Marine Corps commands at Willow Grove transferred to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey, and the airstrip at the Horsham base was shut down after many years of use. Currently, Pennsylvania Air National Guard units, 56th Army Stryker Brigade and an Army Reserve Center remain at the facility.
That same month, the county submitted a notice of interest (NOI) to study establishing an airport on the site that contains an 8,000 foot runway formerly used by military aircraft.
Last month, The Bucks County Airport Authority, which favors an airport for corporate jets and private planes there, proposed to county officials that any future facility be operated by a joint authority of Bucks and Montgomery counties.
A letter dated May 27 from HLRA executive director Michael J. McGee asked the county to provide a detailed financial plan “demonstrating that the county has the ability to carry out the proposed program” and wanted to know how long it would take to begin operating an airport. Had the county applied to the Federal Aviation Administration?
The letter said responses to the five-plus questions were due on Monday, June 20.
At Wednesday’s commissioners meeting, Chairman James R. Matthews seemed put off by the letter’s tone that implied the airport proposal was getting a chilly reception.
“It appears (HLRA) is challenging our notice of interest,” he said. “And I use that word carefully.”
The HLRA is charged with finding potential uses for 892 acres of unoccupied base property and developing a comprehensive redevelopment reuse plan.
“They’re supposed to be compiling things to make a judgement, but I think there’s already been a judgement made by the Horsham Township authority,” Matthews said.Continued... 1 2 3 See Full Story
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A public hearing was held recently in Norristown drawing airport opponents and supporters. A half dozen or so who were against an airport raised the specter of plane crashes, round-the-clock noise from large, commercial cargo aircraft such as those used by Federal Express or UPS.
Ken Plunkett, a commercial pilot and aviation safety expert, told the hearing audience the runway could not physically support cargo-size aircraft flown by shipping companies and the airstrip was too short to permit safe take-offs and landings.
Former Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission official Roger Moog said Willow Grove would be an excellent location for a regional airfield and claimed corporate jets that would use the runway are “very much quieter aircraft” than military or commercial planes.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Matthews directed the Planning Commission to contact the Bucks County Airport Authority in an effort to “refine” the county’s proposal.
Commissioner Joseph M. Hoeffel suggested county planners consult with retired Rear Admiral Stephen Yusem, who is a senior partner at the High, Swartz, Roberts & Seidel law firm in Norristown.
“He’s very interested in continued airport use at Willow Grove, so he is a supporter of air operations at Willow Grove,” Hoeffel said. “But he’s a fair-minded man and a very competent man.”
Hoeffel said Yusem could serve as an “informal, unpaid adviser” on the airfield study. Matthews and Commissioner Bruce L. Castor Jr. agreed.
“I like the idea of bringing in Steve Yusem in, he’s a quality guy,” Castor said.
A written response to McGee’s letter has been sent informing him that the county was still in the midst of studying the proposal.
Among more than a dozen entities interested in developing a portion of the base property are the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association, which operates the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Museum; ACTS Retirement-Life Communities continuing-care retirement facility; and ATG Learning Academy, a private nonprofit, co-educational school serving students with learning disabilities based in Warminster.Continued...
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The HLRA is expected to vote on the proposals by the end of the year.
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