NJ Airport Zoning Fight Threatens Small Airfields Across the US
A contentious zoning dispute at New Jersey’s Solberg-Hunterdon Airport has entered critical litigation, with aviation industry groups warning that the outcome could establish a troubling precedent for small airfields nationwide.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is supporting the Solberg family’s lawsuit against Readington Township, which recently enacted a zoning ordinance ostensibly based on state airport-safety regulations. However, AOPA argues the township has inverted the law’s intent—using safety zones to restrict airport operations rather than protect them from incompatible development.
“This case has far-reaching implications for every small airport in America,” aviation advocates emphasize. The 744-acre privately owned, public-use facility has operated for generations but now faces operational constraints that could prove existential.
Readington Township’s ordinance imposes a 3,000-foot setback from a nearby road, effectively shortening Solberg’s main runway and blocking planned infrastructure improvements including a full-length parallel taxiway and hangars. The restrictions also eliminate space reserved for emerging eVTOL operations and freeze significant airport acreage, potentially jeopardizing the airport’s viability.
The broader concern: New Jersey hosts 40 public-use airports, 23 of which are privately owned. If the township prevails, any municipality could adopt similar zoning tactics to systematically eliminate privately owned airports without initiating formal eminent-domain proceedings—a legally and politically simpler pathway than direct acquisition.
This dispute reflects decades of tension. The Solberg family secured FAA approval for a modernization plan in the 1990s, yet Readington Township twice attempted acquisition through eminent-domain actions in the 2000s and 2010s, both rejected by courts. The current ordinance represents another tactical approach to gaining leverage.
Airport advocates fear Readington’s strategy could spread nationwide, providing municipalities a blueprint to eliminate airfields lacking robust political support. The case underscores ongoing tension between local development pressures and aviation infrastructure preservation.
SOLBERG’S MODERNIZATION PLAN
The airport’s proposed improvements—paved runways, parallel taxiway, and expanded hangars—are presented as essential infrastructure updates. These enhancements would support not only traditional general aviation but also emerging technologies like eVTOL aircraft.
AOPA continues mobilizing pilot advocacy, urging the aviation community to participate in New Jersey’s masterplan review and oppose the township’s ordinance. The legal outcome will likely influence how municipalities and aviation stakeholders navigate similar disputes across the country.
Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764954526231-1204