CREST HAVEN – The county commissioners will be taking back control of Cape May Airport from the Delaware River and Bay Authority when the DRBA’s lease of the property ends in 2029.
The DRBA leases the airport grounds for $1 per year and operates the airport. The county called a special meeting in June 2024 to pass a resolution saying the county did not wish to automatically renew the lease for another 30 years. The county was required to give the DRBA 60 months’ notice of that intention.
At the commissioners June 24 meeting, Commission Vice Director Andrew Bulakowski read a statement on behalf of Board Director Leonard Desiderio, who could not be present, saying that the county issued the notice to the DRBA last year with the intention of renegotiating the lease.
The county has not released specifics about the renegotiations, except that it would reclaim the right to use the property that is currently leased to the DRBA. Revenues now collected by the DRBA from outside vendors will go to Cape May County after the expiration of the lease of the approximately 1,000-acre airport property.
In the statement, Desiderio said, “The DRBA is not willing to provide the county with control over a portion of the county’s own land to use in a manner that best serves our residents.”
James E. Salmon, director of communications and marketing for the DRBA, told the Herald: “The parties have met several times since this issue first arose to discuss whether the DRBA and county could find common ground on lease renewal terms.
“Unfortunately, those conversations did not bear fruit thru no fault of either party.
“To suggest, however, there were not good faith efforts by the DRBA in this regard is simply wrong and misleading to the public. That said, we are committed to working with the county on an orderly transfer of the airport back to the county and its FAA-approved sponsor, along with the return of millions of dollars of funds representing DRBA’s prior capital investment at the airport as required by the lease.”
At the county commissioners’ June 24 meeting, the developers of what would be called the Aviation Sports Complex gave a presentation on plans for a 100,000-square-foot domed sports center planned for airport property. The project would not cost the county anything to construct, as the developers would shoulder the cost.
The DRBA has invested more than $30 million in improvements to the airport, for which the county would have to reimburse it once the lease expires in 2029. The county plans to bond to pay off that amount.
“As I said more than a year ago, this decision was not taken lightly by the board, and we recognize that it will come with great investment from the county, but that investment is for capital improvements to county-owned land and for revenue-generating assets, and it opens the door to new opportunities to enhance quality of life, further strengthen our local economy, and place the county in the best position possible to address some of the most pressing issues facing our residents,” Desiderio said in the statement.
“We appreciate the DRBA for all their efforts at the Cape May County Airport. This decision is not about closing that door – it’s about opening many more.”
The statement was read at the end of the June 24 meeting after public comment had concluded.
Prior to the announcement, the Herald approached the county regarding meeting with county officials about plans for the airport. The county responded that any meeting is subject to the state’s Open Public Meetings Act, which prevents a majority of the board from getting together to discuss business outside of a publicly advertised meeting.
County Counsel Jeff Lindsay said the county would be able to provide information as it becomes available. “I am confident that, as information can be made public, the commissioners would be more than willing to meet with the press to share and discuss,” he said.
Contact the reporter, Chrisotpher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or call 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
