HLRA to Vote on Air Base Applications

Whether or not plans for an airport at  advance, or are grounded for good will be decided at Wednesday’s Horsham Land Reuse Authority meeting.

For the first time in the HLRA’s nearly six years of existence, the board will take action on specific applications pertaining to the redevelopment of 892 acres of the sprawling, 1,100-acre air base. Namely, the board will render a decision on each of the – including two for an airport – that were submitted in March, HLRA Executive Director Mike McGee said. 

McGee said the board will take a vote on each so-called public benefit conveyance for various requests including through the base, , daycare centers and more.

Some of the applications cancel out others, McGee said, noting that the issue of an airport will be handled first.

“That basically knocks out most of the other NOIs. They take up just about all the acreage,” McGee said of the airport requests made by  and the . “If it’s ‘yes’ to the airports, it’s ‘no’ to most everyone else.”

Of the 17 applications, McGee said a few are “very incomplete.” All of the  as the HLRA staff, including McGee, reviewed the applications a few months ago. Some still have outstanding questions.

“It is still my opinion that the Montgomery County NOI is seriously lacking,” McGee said. “The Bucks County (Airport Authority) NOI has a lot of unanswered questions and assumptions, but is a relatively complete application.”

And even if the board opts to consider moving forward with the airport applications - or any of the other notices of interest - McGee said it’s still far from a done deal. Each applicant would still need to clear the hurdle of receiving backing from the appropriate federal agency, including the Federal Aviation Administration for either of the airport plans, McGee said.

“Just because the board directs the consultant to make an attempt to make it happen … doesn’t necessarily mean the applicant gets what they want or where they want it,” McGee said. “It’s concepts that will be recommended for further consideration.”

Those concepts, McGee said, will lay the foundation for three base reuse alternatives that the HLRA’s consultant, , will craft and present to the HLRA board at its Aug. 17 meeting. From there, the board will share input to allow those ideas to “evolve” McGee said, adding that the “final, preferred alternative” will be approved in November and forwarded to the federal government by the December deadline. 

“The board will have time to review and provide the consultants with input,” McGee said. “It’ll evolve. It’s not ‘here are the three, choose one.’ ”

Willow Grove air base redevelopment timeline

• July 27 HLRA meeting, 7 p.m.,  1025 Horsham Road: The board will vote on each of the 17 notices of interest received for the base property.
• Aug. 17 HLRA meeting, 7 p.m., Horsham Township community center, 1025 Horsham Road: The HLRA’s consultants will present three redevelopment alternatives for review. 
• Sept. 21 HLRA meeting, 3 p.m., , 1025 Horsham Road: The HLRA will conduct regular business.
• Oct. 19 HLRA meeting, 7 p.m., Horsham Township community center, 1025 Horsham Road: RKG Associates will present the preferred reuse plan in a joint meeting with the  and the .
• Nov. 16 HLRA meeting, 7 p.m., Horsham Township community center, 1025 Horsham Road: RKG Associates will make its final presentation of the preferred base redevelopment plan.
• Sometime in mid-2012, the HLRA expects to have final approval from the federal government on the air base reuse plan.
• From there, an environmental impact statement will be carried out over the next year and a half to two years, McGee said.