A long-running land-use fight in central New Jersey has entered a new phase, with aviation groups cautioning that the outcome could ripple far beyond this single airport. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is warning that Solberg-Hunterdon Airport, a privately owned, public-use field in Readington Township, New Jersey, now sits at the center of a lawsuit that could shape how local governments treat small airports across the state, or even the entire US.
The Solberg family, which has operated the 744-acre airport for generations, filed suit after Readington Township passed a new zoning ordinance aimed at tightening development rules around the field. Township officials wrote the ordinance under the banner of state airport-safety regulations, but used those rules in a way that limits the airport, instead of protecting it as the rules originally intended.
AOPA stepped in on the airport’s side, arguing that Readington’s move flips the intent of New Jersey’s air-safety zoning law. That law sets zones that begin at the airport boundary and extend outward, to keep incompatible construction away from runways. Readington drew those zones in reverse. The township imposed a 3,000-foot setback from a nearby road, which would shrink the usable length of Solberg’s main runway and block the airport’s plan to build a full-length parallel taxiway. Other restrictions would prevent hangar development, eliminate space reserved for eVTOL operations, and freeze large sections of airport land in ways that Solberg argues could jeopardizes the airport’s ability to continue operations.
The stakes extend far beyond Hunterdon County. New Jersey has 40 public-use airports, and 23 are privately owned. If Readington wins the court case, any town in the state could adopt similar zoning rules to limit or effectively condemn any privately owned airport without filing a formal eminent-domain action. Airport advocates fear the same tactic could spread to other US states, giving municipalities a blueprint to squeeze out airfields that lack political support.
Solberg’s legal fight touches deep history. The family secured state and FAA approval for a modernization plan in the 1990s, but the township pushed back. The town then attempted to acquire the airport through eminent domain in the mid-2000s, followed by another attempt in 2014. Courts rejected both efforts, yet the dispute never faded. The new ordinance marks the township’s latest attempt to gain leverage over the airport’s future.
AOPA continues to support Solberg and the broader airport community. The group urges pilots to speak up during the state’s review of the airport’s masterplan alternative and to oppose the township’s ordinance. Solberg Airport’s plan calls for paved runways, a full parallel taxiway, and new hangars — improvements that its owners argue are crucial to the airport’s long-term viability.