Mercer County freeholders take on residents' complaints about Trenton-Mercer Airport (KTTN), New Jersey

The Mercer County freeholders voiced support this week for the county’s efforts to communicate with residents affected by increased flight traffic at Trenton-Mercer airport, but one freeholder suggested that a committee should be created to help people get their voices heard.

Freeholders were responding to complaints from Bucks Residents for Responsible Airport Management, a group of residents in Pennsylvania who live under the airport’s flight path and say they will sue to compel the county to conduct an environmental impact study.

At Tuesday’s board meeting Freeholder Chair John Cimino praised the county administration for working to address concerns about the airport in Ewing, which has seen an uptick in flights this year since Frontier Airlines began flying out of the facility.

“The administration has done a great job of trying to articulate and communicate with those residents,” Cimino said.

Officials have said the county has not been directed to perform a study by the Federal Aviation Administration, and is in compliance with the agency’s requirements.

But Freeholder Lucylle Walter said the complaints show the need for an airport advisory committee that would allow locals and other stakeholders to express their concerns.

“People are afraid for their housing values. They are afraid of rumors they hear,” said Walter, who lives in Ewing.

County Executive Brian Hughes said he would be willing to talk about an airport advisory committee in the future, but that it would not be practical to consult one on construction now underway at the airport.

Most flights have been suspended for two months, through Nov. 7, as the county reconfigures the terminal, expands the parking and installs a system on the main runway to stop runaway planes.

Hughes said the county could possibly form a committee of airport users, local residents, chamber of commerce members and other parties. He would want to better understand the committee’s responsibilities and whether stakeholders are interested before he considered it further, he said.

Hughes noted that people can call a complaint line, but said it is not heavily used. He said Frontier has generated fewer complaints that previous carriers at the airport because its planes, A319s, are much quieter.

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