Author Archives: Mike Shortall

Bravo, Horsham!!

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The official verdict is in … NO AIRPORT in Horsham!!

There was a palpable sense of relief throughout the audience, finally obtaining assurance that the Horsham Land Reuse Authority (HLRA) Board was in – almost unanimous – agreement with the overwhelming local sentiment that a functioning private/commercial airport was not in the best interests of Horsham Township’s future.

The crowd in attendance was – from my perspective – 95% opposed to the acceptance of any plan (NOI) to maintain an airport operation at the JRB Willow Grove site or to the suggestion – by the incomprehensible Montgomery County Commissioners’ submittal – that the runway be stashed in a coat closet for a few decades, just in case the need for a runway arises in 2040!

But that wasn’t the only laugher provided by the events of last night’s HLRA session to approve/disapprove Notices of Interest (NOI) from parties interested in utilizing space and facilities to be made available by the Navy’s abandonment of the JRB Willow Grove site.

The biggest laugh was reserved for the Bucks County Aviation Authority (BCAA) proposal to operate an airport. Citing Horsham’s loss of $650,000 in property tax offset (impact fees) from the U.S. Government and the township’s desire to maximize tax revenues from the site, the BCAA’s offer of a $5000-per-year stipend was met with a roomful of hearty guffaws. 

That’s not a misprint!  $5000.00-a-year!

Yet another entertaining moment came when David Pitcairn, a descendant of the original owners of the JRB property in the 1940s, attempted to make a case for accepting an airport operation there.  Humor could be found on several levels.

  1. He lives in Delaware County.  So the biggest effect an airport in Horsham would have on him is the 20 – 30 minutes he might spend on the tarmac waiting for his turn to rotate off into the wild blue! 
  2. His family SOLD the land to the U.S. Navy 70 years ago!
  3. Someone actually harbored the thought that his opinion would somehow hold sway over the skeptical local crowd.  It did not have the desired “Gee, if a Pitcairn wants an airport, what are we waiting for?” effect.

It was a long, drawn-out, tiring night.  (I lasted only until 9:30 with only nine NOI decisions out of 17 having been finalized.) And the tortuous travails endured by the HLRA board in listening patiently; calming the more jumpy cattle in the herd; and enduring some the more inane commentary from a few citizens who displayed but a fleeting grasp of the meeting’s objectives was enough to discourage any civic-minded citizen from ever considering public service.  The members of the HLRA Board, including Bill Donnelly who is currently running for the office of Montgomery County Prothonotary, are to be commended!

Before I left, the Board had approved every other non-airport NOI, including decisions to consider further local plans for open space, new roads, a future school and an additional firehouse should they become necessary, and a potential retirement/nursing home development.  And although I hope the Board approved the NOI application for a homeless veterans rehabilitation center, I could not hold out long enough to witness that result.  

But back to the action …

One of my favorite activities last night was watching HLRA Board Chairman, Bill Whiteside turning eight shades of red at the nitpicky, bordering-on-petty attempts by Board Member Steve Nelson to pull off a Houdini of a maneuver and throw the No Airport Movement off the tracks.  Nelson should have attended the meeting wearing his Jim Matthews mask and barn-storming pilot garb with matching leather jacket and helmet and a jaunty pair of goggles.  Rumors circulated that he and Young Pitcairn car-pooled to the meeting.  At one point, Mr. Whiteside’s half-turn-with-an-eyeroll to yet another Nelson foray was classic Seinfeld (the episode where Jerry deals with noisy movie-goers).

Nelson’s unbelievable attempts to claim that the HLRA was “rushing” into an airport decision, after ONLY six years of contemplating what to do with an 8000-ft, meters thick ribbon of concrete, was perhaps the height of hubris.  This presented the only time that board members pointedly criticized the position of a fellow member.  

When the final vote was taken on the only viable airport NOI proposal and the 8-1 vote recorded in favor of turning down the BCAA proposal, there was much rejoicing throughout the land.  Personally, I was a bit surprised by the nearly unanimous board vote.       

I only wish that I could convince myself that this is truly the end of Airport Road.  I remain suspicious that further legal and political maneuvering will continue by Regional Authorities reluctant to Kevorkian their Horsham airport visions. 

With that unsettling thought now out there, Horsham residents should celebrate this development and the progress towards more difficult and equally challenging decisions on the Township’s future.  This daunting, critical task of planning Horsham’s future is only beginning.  There will be many more decisions to be made, worth millions in dollars of investment and millions of dollars in revenue.  That road stretches for years.  

And just in case, we should all be prepared to man the ramparts again … should my suspicions prove warranted!

Horsham Land Reuse Authority meeting – Wednesday, July 27

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The next step in Horsham’s LRA process for the soon-to-be-abandoned JRB Willow Grove site is this Wednesday at 7:00 PM at the Horsham Township Community Center.

The Board will review the Notices of Interest (NOI) submitted by homeless service providers and organizations qualifying for public benefit conveyances and provide guidance to the RKG Team on which applications should receive further review for possible inclusion in the reuse alternatives.

There will also be a period set aside for public comment, which – if nothing else – should be entertaining!

All kidding aside, this is another important step towards Horsham’s objective of local control over what kind of development becomes the future of a site that represents a huge area of Horsham Township.

An airport?  No airport?  Town center?  Corporate jets?  Corporate office space?  Open space?

The HLRA will consider the NOIs submitted and will narrow down those possibilities that could potentially become part of the end solution.

What do you think Horsham should look like in the future?!?  If you care, you should be there!

I pledge not to pledge!

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Other than The Pledge of Allegiance, I know of no pledges worth taking.

For the life of me, I fail to understand the phenomena of committing to pledges as the latest iteration of the dreaded political litmus test.  Few of the Republican Presidential hopefuls show the backbone or willingness to be a LEADER!  It has gotten to the point where I am forced to agree with a Liberal scribe, such as Karen Heller of The Philadelphia Inquirer, whose Wednesday column reflects my own growing frustration with spine-ophobia.

It is time to begin looking with jaundiced eye at any candidate who feels compelled to kowtow to every political group looking to push a narrow, unyielding agenda.  The trend is growing beyond the point of disturbing.  Is winning in the Iowa caucuses really worth losing any claim to being a strong, independent leader?!?

Don’t get me wrong.  I agree with the underlying premise of some of the more popular pledges.  Others however, like Rick Santorum’s public pledge to remain faithful to one’s wife, are simply silly and capricious.  If we honestly admit to NEEDING such a pledge, then the problem is magnitudes larger than the objectives of all pledges combined.  In reality what we are saying is, “We no longer TRUST you, Mr./Mrs. OfficeSeeker, to use your judgement and do the right thing!”  And that to me, says much more about the shallowness of our expectations than it does the worthiness of any candidate.

And what might we expect in the way of governance from candidates who so willingly allow narrow political agendas to bind their feet so tightly as to make compromise impossible?  Currently over half of the entire House of Representatives has signed Grover Norquist‘s call for no tax increases. 

At this particular time, how does that further the interests of The Country?  Does anyone really believe that with skyrocketing national debt and the sacrifices being made on Main Streets throughout The Country, that taxes on the richest cannot ever be raised? 

The concept of republican government requires compromise.  Without it no progress can be made towards the true goals and interests of the country.  There are plenty of areas on both sides where compromise can and should be made.  But binding one’s feet only guarantees nothing can be done.      

At least ONE candidate has refused to prostrate himself before the pledge seekers.  Jon Huntsman, the former Ambassador to China, has steadfastly refused to take any pledges other than The Pledge of Allegiance and his marital pledge to his wife.  Interesting that he didn’t seem to need anyone to force him to sign for the latter!

That’s a breath of fresh air!

CML Idiot’s Lawn Guide: Chapter 5 – Out, damn spots!

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Well, it’s July and Cranky’s front lawn is showing signs that summer’s heat is taking its toll!  It’s an inevitable annual development.  No matter how much rain we get in April, May, June, it’s never enough to get the home turf through the summer unscathed.  And besides the heat, there are other dangers afoot …

Brown spots in your lawn can be caused by any number of things.  At this time of the year the culprits are innocuous occurrences that are simply magnified by the sun and heat.  For instance, I have noticed a good deal of spotting along the sidewalk in front of Cranky Man’s palatial estate.  At first I ran through the more dangerous threats, like over-fertilizing and grub damage; but after reviewing the overall condition of the East Lawn, I was able to eliminate both potential causes. 

There were three keys to my conclusion with a Confidence Factor of 90%:

  1. Spotting on the rest of the lawn was minimal (some from high-activity landscaping/gardening near the East Garden that fronts the East Lawn);
  2. There was scant evidence of grub-type insects in the soil and grass; and
  3. I caught the big golden retriever from down the block peeing along the spotted section of grass!

Often it’s the simplest explanation that causes discoloring to a lawn.  That’s why it’s important to look at the overall condition of your lawn before drawing conclusions about what the problem is and what the treatment should be. 

 The first conclusion MOST lawn overseers will make to brown spots at this time of year is grub infestation.  Late June – early July (Southeast Pennsylvania) is normally when you will begin to see the insects that develop from the white grubs that have the greatest potential to do damage to your lawn.  But that damage will actually be evident as early as April, when white grubs roust from their winter slumber to feed and mature into beetles (i.e. Those brown spots will appear well before the insects appear.)

In my case, it was dogs not slugs that were responsible for the brown spots.  As a dog owner, I can appreciate and make allowances for doggies doing a #1 on the lawn (just don’t leave its #2 lying about, please).  That kind of damage you can live tolerate, since its not permanent or pervasive.

And since grub treatments tend to be the MOST EXPENSIVE of traditional lawn treatments available at your local lawn supply store, it’s best not to jump to the conclusion that grubs are a threat to your lawn.  It’s important to know thy enemy! 

Personally, I haven’t applied a grub treatment for several seasons now, due to the relative scarcity of Japanese beetles (white grub=larvae stage) in late June-early July.  As has been the constant theme at Cranky Man’s Lawn, common sense, education and observation are important keys to sensible lawn care. 

Here are several good websites that will help you learn how to recognize, evaluate and treat a grub infestation:

Penn State University, College of Agricultural Sciences – PSU is a leading authority on turf management.

New York State Integrated Pest Management Program – Out of Cornell University   

University of Illinois – Pegged to lawn conditions in Northern Illinois, but good info!

Cranky Man’s twist on the above information, carefully fine-tuned from years of haphazard observation and other serendipitous methodologies:

  • NEVER use Japanese beetle traps during the height of an infestation.  I made this mistake a few years ago, until I realized these pheromone-baited traps (Some use a floral lure.) attracted THOUSANDS of randy beetles from MILES around (or so it seemed).  And since only a percentage of the attracted beetles actually get caught in the trap, you may just turn your lawn into a Best-Of-Beetle dating site, nursery and smorgasbord!
  • Small numbers of beetle larvae (See the PSU and Illini site for how to “survey” your lawn for unwanted guests.) are not a threat to overall lawn health.  Finding a dozen grubs in one square foot of lawn would indicate a significant pest problem.  If it’s less than that, you MAY NOT have a grub problem!
  • Look for damage from moles, raccoons, and skunks, or a number of birds doing a high level of foraging in your lawn.  They LOVE grubs.  If they like your lawn, chances are the grubs are there enjoying your lawn too!      

What to do about those ugly brown spots once either the heat, the dogs, or the grubs have done their dirty work:

  • Don’t overreact and rip up the brown grass.  No lawn grows much in the heat of summer.  Minimize the damage and protect the roots by leaving the unsightly – but useful – brown grass in place. 
  • Make sure you KNOW what the problem is before you treat it!  You can do MORE DAMAGE to your lawn applying fertilizer to a hot, dry lawn!
  • Wait until early to mid September, then remove the brown grass and spread seed and fertilizer over the affected area.  (This is always a good time to over-seed and fertilize your entire lawn.  More on that in a later posting.)  With good weather, you could easily get 6-8 weeks of autumn growth to give you a head start on Spring!  
  • Remember that it’s the  lawn’s overall health that’s MOST important.  Few lawns are free of bad spots, so temper your expectations during the hot summer.  Understand the problem; minimize the damage; repair it when conditions for growth are most favorable!

Good luck!

Quest for PERFECTION

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Perhaps it’s the time of year, maybe it’s the time of man; but baby, there are times when I feel all of my age and then some!  Of course watching prime time TV does little to assuage my anguish.

ED-living-with-matching-bathtubs … High triglycerides?!?  Where’s my Lovasa? …  Are you feeling a bit Low-T there, fella?!?  …  High cholesterol?  …  Maybe you just need to color that hair!  

Reality dictates that it’s just a natural part of the process  …  That vague awareness that some physical tasks used to be easier to perform  …  The sometimes achy process of unfolding yourself from that a-little-too-comfy spot on the couch …  

Fahgettaboutit!, your Psyche says.  You’ll get over it.  You’ll rebound.  Just drop a few pounds; get back to the gym; remember how well you felt when you worked your program?  Of course I told you to keep working.  I told you not to take the easy way out.  I told you that summertime wasn’t a reason to skip the early morning gym sessions.  I told you not to …. 

Enough with the GUILT already!!  It’s already depressing to think that so much work has to go into wringing every possible ounce of utility out of this  aging machine.  Do I really need to be reminded of all the woulda, coulda, shouldas?!?

Certainly, having my younger brother around the last two weeks ain’t helping!  Only two years younger, he can crank a golf ball much, much farther than I with a ridiculous ability to coil and uncoil it makes my back hurt just watching.  And he claims he’s not coloring HIS hair … Pffttt … To top it off, HE retired this year!  Ugh …

Time to rededicate!  Recalibrate … Inculcate … Without so much as a whisper to remonstrate …

Only this time take it seriously!  Treat it like a life decision, not a life sentence!  Only of course it is a sentence without parole … For to stop, to let up, to take even a little time off …

Insidious is this sense of doom!!  This feeling of impinging gloom … How does anyone keep up the struggle, when all I want are naps to juggle?!?

Nattering nabobs of negativity; Cease betraying my need for alacrity!  Just get me over this imposing ridge!  Or geez, just get my eyes off the ‘fridge!

MontCo plan for airbase runway punted by Horsham LRA

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Good article today in The Philadelphia Inquirer on Montgomery County’s poorly developed “plan” for preserving the runway at JRB Willow Grove.  The “plan” consisted of Montgomery Count expressing their desire to take possession of the runway as a “valuable future asset”.

That was it!  That’s the whole “plan”!! 

No financing, no maintenance, no discussion of feasibility …  certainly no responsibility either.  The County even went so far as to pointedly stress their lack of interest in running an airport.

Gee, what’s not to like?!? 

So the Horsham LRA punted that low-hanging fruit basket back at the County, and seemed to have a little fun doing it at Wednesday’s HLRA meeting.  

This development really changes nothing to the prospects for an airport, either for or against.  But it’s good to know that the “leadership” tenures of County Commissioners Jim Matthews and Joe Hoeffel will expire shortly!

Take the rest of the year off, guys …

Please.

And by the way, Bruce L Castor, Jr., who is running for re-election to the County Commission with Jenny Brown, has taken an anti-airport stance; backing local opposition to a commercial airport. 

Remember THAT in November’s election, Horsham!

A bed & breakfast and a graduation

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It’s been busy time for Cranky Man the past week or so.  Our youngest, Alex, graduated this week from Hatboro-Horsham HS; and my brother and his wife are in from the Left Coast to visit and pay homage to the graduate.  My brother, Pat was able to retire this year; and since he’s two years YOUNGER, it’s been a cranky time for me.  Coveting will do that.  On Saturday this weekend, we hosted the obligatory graduation blowout.

Alex finished in the Top 10% of his class; has decided to attend Temple University’s  Honor Program; and has received several offers of scholarship assistance.  He has a bright future ahead of him. 

A very proud time, and a very busy time …  As a result, I have neglected my blog duties.  I must be both motivated and topically inspired to be effective.

I love having Pat and his wife here.  Pat left for a hitch in the Air Force at 18, right after his graduation from high school (Father Judge ’76).  Since he left at an early age and ended up staying out on the Left Coast when he met his spousal unit, it seems we missed doing a lot of the normal 20-something and 30-something stuff together as we raised our families in separate worlds.  We try to catch up on what was missed whenever we get together. 

So much for what’s been keeping me from my appointed rounds.  Here are a few news bits to hold you over ’til the smoke clears.

  • Kudos for Cranky Man from fellow no-airport-at-JRB-WG warriors at http://www.noairportinhorsham.org/, who have noticed my constant and unending anti-airport tirades.  Check out my first internet referral at the bottom of their homepage.  Thanks for noticing, neighbors!
  • If you haven’t yet, please register your opposition to an airport – if you’re so inclined – at the aforementioned www.noairportinhorsham.org!  They wish to document all Horsham neighbors who stand opposed to an airport at the JRB.  Make sure YOUR voice is heard, especially if you cannot attend HLRA meetings!
  • My one indelible image from the HLRA community charrette on Friday, June 10 was this one clear pro-airport individual, who had the temerity to interrupt what was a rather productive group exercise.  He just HAD to let us know that as the owner of a scuba equipment shop on Rt 611 (as if THAT made his opinion carry more weight) just how “wonderful” an airport would be for the people of Horsham.  Then – just as quickly – he hopped off to the next group to spout his personal opinion.  Not once did he present even a pretense of caring one twit what THE REAL COMMUNITY was trying to accomplish that day.  Nope … It was all about him, his opinions, his self-interests.  There’s a lesson there for those of us who really care about the broader Horsham picture, more than just hobbies and financial gain.
  • My other impressions of the Day of Charrette (Sounds like a wine tasting!) were frustration – initially; a begrudging – at times – effort to LISTEN to the views of others; the slow-to-emerge impression that this charrette process was interesting, helpful, and productive.  There was a clear majority of no-airport over pro-airport attendees.  Unfortunately, I was indisposed on Saturday and unable to attend the wrap-up session.

With the Day of Charrette – a critical but preliminary – community effort now out of the way, I hope to get back to some of my regular blogging subject matter.  I do expect to return often to the matter of the JRB’s future, since I’m convinced the issue will not be settled for some time to come.

Also, I’ve made one change in an effort to make reader discussion less complicated here.  You will no longer be required to submit an e-mail address to comment.  All comments will still be subject to review before being added to the discussion thread however.

For my Horsham neighbors, make sure you stay informed; look at the FACTS behind the claims; cull facts from suppositions and wishful projections; and consider the motives of those who want to advise you on matters affecting the community!

The Greens of Horsham

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(Apologies to followers of this blog for the overabundance of posts dealing with local Horsham issues revolving around the USG BRAC decision to close the JRB Willow Grove airbase.  This is a HUGE local issue for Horsham, where I live.  Our home is located in Horsham, barely 1/2 mile from the airbase.  This complex issue is coming to a head this Friday, June 10; so I anticipate that this theme will recur much less frequently in posts to follow.  Thanks for your patience!  –  Hatboro Mike)

Since I have been overwhelmingly anti-airport in postings here and elsewhere on the internet as well as my many conversations and recommendations to friends and neighbors, I have promised to provide my vision for the JRB Willow Grove property.  The following concepts are based on and limited by the following factors:

  1. Horsham Township does not NEED to make a boatload of money through exploitation of the JRB-WG site.  In years past, the U.S. Navy has paid the Township of Horsham – more accurately the Hatboro-Horsham School District – ONLY $750,000 annually to compensate the District for the airbase acreage that did not generate residential school taxes. Therefore, Horsham need only recoup that annual $750K PLUS the costs of maintaining the site and supporting whatever infrastructure might be required to accommodate what development goes  into the site.
  2. I would be perfectly happy if the solution to the JRB-WG site was revenue-neutral insofar as my tax burden is concerned.  My predominant interest is to maintain the level of quality-of-life and sense of community for which Horsham Township is known.  Obviously, the Township has been on the right path in the recent past, given the accolades it receives as a top-quality community in which to live. 
  3. I care little for the economic needs of the region, the jobless rate, the convenience of frequent air travelers, or the pleasures of aircraft hobbyists.  Yes, this is unapologetic NIMBY-ism (Not In My Back Yard), which is completely defensible considering it is my backyard!  I have no doubt that anyone else in our – Horsham’s – position would do the same, if they felt their community and way-of-life threatened by all the possibilities.  Also, I sincerely doubt any of our regional neighbors will give a hoot about Horsham’s future once the die is cast.    
  4. I am no community planner, architect, real estate analyst, green techie, or regional economist.  Therefore, these suggestions indubitably need to be fleshed out and screened for economic realities.

I will go out on a limb, and assert that MOST Horshamites would much rather see a multi-use solution to the future of the JRB-WG site.  One that DOES NOT include an airport.  But one that does generate sufficient tax revenue to make the site at least tax-neutral and at best tax-reducing. 

My vision is one of multiple uses:

  • Solar energy farm … Hundreds (thousands??) of solar energy-collecting arrays that will help to power new development and perhaps allow for the collection of excess energy that can be shunted to municipal uses or sold to the existing energy grid.  I prefer these low-profile contraptions as opposed to the more imposing wind mills.   
  • Light industrial and office space development along the lines of the profile found in the complex surrounded by Commonwealth National Country Club. These structures would incorporate the latest in communication technology and environmentally sensitive design, including solar and wind turbine energy producers (along the lines of those planned for Lincoln Financial Field in the near future), no-flow urinals (See those used in Comcast’s new building in Center City.), etc.

(Many criticize this particular usage, based on the existence of under-occupied office space already existing in Horsham.  However, if done properly – in my opinion – we can attract office space renters from around the region, who will be attracted by economic incentives of such environmentally conscious designs as well as the job market advantage it might offer in attracting environmentally conscious young people as new employees.)

  • Lahaska in Horsham – I steal this idea from someone on reusethebase.com, I think.  I like the idea of a small outdoor revenue-producing community of artisan shops.  This would require substantial landscape engineering to convert the airbase into a rolling area of shops, small cafes/restaurants, a tavern or two, set in a bucolic strolling-type environment. (I also like the Main Street Horsham concept.  And this could be made part of or complimentary to “Main Street Horsham”.) 
  • Incorporate – in some manner – the static aircraft displays made available through the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association.  Now this might seem a bit incongruous with the “Lahaska in Horsham” theme, and it is frankly.  However with the amount of space available at the airbase site, there should be no problem or glaring inconsistency if both are given sufficient “buffer areas”.  The concept could be rolled into the strolling-type layout.
  • Obviously, open space in the form of play areas and athletic fields for Horsham and neighboring community uses.
  • I have no real issue with any of the non-runway associated NOIs submitted.  I think  Township residents should get strongly behind the idea of a transitional facility for homeless veterans, including the presence of a short-term alcohol and drug rehabilitation center.  We owe these veterans AT LEAST that much!

Off the reservation (or here’s where I get a bit pie-in-the-sky):

  • A tribute to Willow Grove’s historic past … Yes, I know we are Horsham, not Willow Grove; but the name does translate nicely given the airbase’s title for 70 years!  A century ago, Willow Grove was known for its spas and its musical entertainment. 
    • An area of quiet, subdued family fun (i.e. NOT an amusement park)
    • Resurrection of the old style carousel made famous when Willow Grove was a leisure destination
    • Incorporation of a small, sheltered, acoustically sound bandshell-type structure; seating no more than 500-1000 to keep it sedate and pleasant (i.e. NOT a mega-concert venue).  This would also represent a throw-back to quieter times; hosting performances by local music clubs, schools, and organizations; and providing a place for community-oriented theatre and summer concerts.
  • Golf Academy – OK, this one’s for me!!
    • There is plenty of land from which to carve a section that will provide a money-making, yet unobtrusive venture that – to my knowledge – would be unique to this golf-hungry region without the troublesome and risky need to build a golf course.
    • Driving range, expansive areas for the construction of several undulating greens for the purposes of short-game instruction.  One expansive hanger-type structure for the construction of indoor chipping and putting greens for use during the winter seasons.  (Not to be confused with the already existing hangers in place, but perhaps these could be used if other uses DO NOT materialize.)
    • There are many club pros and teaching pros throughout the area who have to rely on inadequate driving-range type operations to ply their trade. One all-inclusive facility, conveniently located in the midst of a golf-crazy area could attract a stable of pros looking for better teaching facilities where all facets of the game that drives me crazy could be addressed!
    • I am under no misconception that my particular game would improve appreciably; but others could certainly benefit.  And golfers have money they’re willing to spend, if it gives them a chance to brag in the clubhouse! 

The runway?!?  It would make a nice parking lot!

There it is!  Practicality mixed in with a few brain-storms-in-a-tea-cup-type ideas.

Welcome to Horsham International Airport!

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As Horsham Township, its residents, and regional neighbors slog through the land reuse development process prescribed by the Base Realignment And Closure (BRAC) decision for the NAS/JRB Willow Grove site, one of the factors defining the limits of discussion and the public relations war is the assumption that the airbase runway would be used to facilitate a small municipal airport or – as the Bucks County Aviation Authority describes it – the Pitcairn Aviation Business Center.  Such a facility is purported to support operations for light private aircraft and corporate jets.

This is the image many – on both sides of the runway issue – think of when discussions and emotions turn towards the question of whether an airport should or should not be the future of the NAS/JRB site.

But what if that airport image looks much, much different in the future?  What if the existence of an 8000-ft runway attracts a larger commercial aircraft operation?  What if a regional need for such a large underused runway is identified through no fault of the current airport/no airport antagonists?  What would Horsham Township look like if the worst possible scenario came to life?

Would it happen?  No one wants to think so.  But COULD it happen?!?  Certainly, and I’ll show you just one possible scenario.

Flash forward a few years … the pro-airport forces won the airport debate in 2011-12; regional interests triumphed over the concerns and protests of Horsham residents; and the airport has been operating in an uneasy truce with Horsham residents, who have learned to tune out the drone of circling Pipers and the high-energy whine of the corporate jet-set.

In the meantime, growth in commercial air travel continues to crowd the skies surrounding Philadelphia International Airport, as it has the entire U.S. East Coast and New England.  The daily battle the air traffic control system wages with overcrowded commercial routes and busy arrival and departure schedules is managed successfully by the slimmest of margins.

Then one rainy afternoon two large commercial jets come way too close to each other in the crowded PHL approach over southern New Jersey.  Urgent calls by Air Traffic Controllers and the wailing of TCAS II (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System) in the respective cockpits alert the converging flight crews in barely enough time; and only through quick, violent evasive action are the respective pilots able to avoid a potential catastrophe.

Unfortunately, several passengers and a flight attendant are injured, and cable news networks spend the week playing continuous interviews of the passengers of both flights, and provide viewers with updates on the conditions of the injured and the course of the investigation.

A year later, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues its report on the near-miss.  The report is scathing in its description of overcrowding in the flight paths of PHL.  It notes of particular interest that Philly International represents the only commercial airport serving one of the largest major cities in the nation.  The FAA specifically compares Philadelphia’s single-airport status to New York (6 airports), Boston (3), and Baltimore (3) in the crowded Mid-Atlantic/lower New England regions.

Since the accident, the public has been aware that the teenage daughter of a prominent member Congress, serving on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was a passenger on one of the flights.  And although she was uninjured, her Congressional parent has become fixated on the causes that could have resulted in the child’s death.

Initially thankful that she was spared, the Congressional Representative commissions an investigative hearing and begins to loudly and repeatedly call for a solution to the overcrowded skies near Philadelphia, threatening the reduction in transportation funding if no solution is found.  And regional authorities cast their eyes furtively towards the underused 8000-ft runway at the Pitcairn Aviation Business Center.

Once again, Horsham residents line up – this time in staggering numbers – to fight what is sure to become a blight on their community.  They are sure they have the law and regional authorities on their side, since they were assured that the Pitcairn airport would never be classified for large, heavy jet operations.  But to their horror they find out that the Pennsylvania State Aviation Board had reclassified the Pitcairn airport to its highest possible level based solely on runway length, thereby permitting the largest and heaviest aircraft to be flown into and out of the airport.  There was no requirement to inform anyone in the Horsham community.

(This very scenario was a factor in recent attempts by the Bucks County Airport Authority to lengthen the runway at Doylestown Airport.  The designation of the Doylestown runway was increased from “Basic” to “Advanced”, which essentially tripled the size of aircraft able to use their runway, without notification to the public!  Doylestown residents only found out by digging out the information themselves.  No one at BCAA claimed knowledge of the change!)

An 8000 ft runway can accommodate MOST large aircraft.  The exceptions being wide body international flights that normally require 10,000 ft runways as a minimum when fully loaded.

Flash forward five more years, the eastern end of Horsham Township bares little resemblance to the pleasant, suburban community it was in 2011.  Almost the entire eastern side of Rt 611 from Meetinghouse Road to County Line has been acquired by eminent domain and is now the site of a huge three-story commercial passenger terminal, two rental car agencies, and off/on-ramps that by necessity must run behind the terminal building (similar to the arrangement at PHL) to and from the now six-lane Rt 611.  These facilities – connected to the airport proper by tunnels dug below Rt 611 – had to be located off the airport property due to space restrictions.

In addition, the south side of Horsham Road is home to a new Marriott Hotel, a Hampton Inn, six restaurants and a shopping mall.  Rt 463 is also six lanes wide now, yet still constantly full of auto traffic now joined by an endless stream of trucks heading into the airport’s freight and services entrance near Norristown Road.  Both Rts 611 and 463 are snarled as much by gaper delays as they are by volume as motorists gape open-mouthed at the huge commercial jets swooping noisily over 611 to the Horsham International Airport runway!

Horsham Township would NEVER be the same, and all because we believed the assurances that an 8000-ft runway would never threaten the character and atmosphere of our neighborhoods.

This my personal nightmare scenario, not a sleepy muni-type airport like that proposed as the Pitcairn Aviation Business Center.  What keeps me up at night is what might happen should the heretofore unthinkable become a reality!

Please make sure you attend the June 10 community charrette event at the Horsham Township Community Center!!