by Ken Walker
Heliport Coming to NPD
February 28, 2008
A press release has been issued announcing a new heliport coming to Newark for the NPD and commercial use.
??RotorNews??: “Air Pegasus Helicopters to Develop World-Class Heliplex for City of Newark, New Jersey”:http://www.rotor.com/Default.aspx?tabid=510&mid=905&newsid905=57972&&SkinSrc=%5BG%5DSkins%2F_default%2FNo+Skin&ContainerSrc=%5BG%5DContainers%2F_default%2FNo+Container&dnnprintmode=true
Air Pegasus Helicopters, LLC (APH) today announced a plan to develop a world-class and state-of-the-art heliplex facility for the City of Newark to be built on Grafton Avenue adjacent to the planned Newark Police Department precinct. The Air Pegasus Metro Heliplex will provide a full-service facility to the Newark Police Department Aviation Unit to reduce helicopter response times and operational costs and will enhance Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s laudable crime-reduction initiatives.
“This is an important project to bolster Newark’s plan to increase public safety and to help reinvigorate economic development in this community,” said Steven Trenk, Managing Director of Air Pegasus Helicopters, LLC. “I am proud that we are able to take the lead in a project that I know is right for the community, right for the Newark Police Department, and right for the City of Newark.”
The City of Newark recently established a Police Department Aviation Unit as part of its comprehensive strategy to increase public safety and reduce crime. The Unit operates two helicopters that provide support and an increased police presence over crime scenes and significantly reduce police response times throughout the city. The Aviation Unit provides an eye in the sky to patrol and investigative units and can quickly respond to any section of the City. The use of the helicopter reduces the dangers of police pursuits and dramatically increases the likelihood of suspect apprehensions. The goal of the heliplex is to provide a centralized base of operations within the City of Newark to facilitate the Aviation Unit’s operations and to reduce response times and operational costs.
The heliplex would complement the development of a three-acre site currently owned by the city at the intersection of Grafton Avenue and McCarther Highway. Mayor Booker plans to develop this site with a community center and a new Police precinct. Air Pegasus will commercially develop the 5 acres adjacent to this site to compliment the new community center and police precinct facilities.
The Times provided a few details on the contract for the construction, noting that Pegasus’ president, Steven Trenk, has ties to the Booker administration. Funding for the $10 million project is provided by “the Trenk Family, institutional financing and governmental sources” — though Newark’s specific budget impact is as yet undisclosed.
??New York Times??: “Contract Awarded for Newark Heliport”:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/nyregion/28heli.html
Pegasus is led by Steven Trenk, a first cousin of Richard Trenk, a former partner with Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark at the law firm Booker, Rabinowitz, Trenk, Lubetkin, Tully, DiPasquale & Webster of West Orange, N.J.
Information about the contract and the Trenks was not immediately available, Esmeralda Diaz Cameron, a spokeswoman for Mr. Booker, said Wednesday night.
According to a news release from Pegasus, financing for the “world-class heliplex” would come from “the Trenk family, institutional financing and governmental sources.”
A Pegasus spokesman said he lacked details about the contract and could not immediately reach Steven Trenk. A message left Wednesday night at Steven Trenk’s home was not returned. Richard Trenk declined to comment on Wednesday night.
The heliport is expected to be operational later this year.
I just wanted to shamelessly plug my article on this topic:
http://ironboundnewark.com/we-fly-high-newark-heliportheliplex/
Thanks Ken!
More Aircraft Noise & Emissions For An Area Already Inundated
I would strongly suggest that the supporters of this heliport review the environmental impact from more aircraft traffic in an area already inundated by traffic from Newark and Teterboro Airports. The current noise damage in this area is 56.6 decibels. Adding a heliport is almost certain to generate significant aircraft noise and environmental justice impacts.
Robert Belzer
President, NJCAAN
The proposed heliplex is an incredibly bad idea for the residents of Newark. We, in Newark, already suffer from too much unnecessary aircraft noise. Presently the Federal Aviation Agency allows the jets from Newark Airport to fly over our homes and schools at altitudes under 3000ft. This is in spite of the fact that Newark is the only airport in the nation that has ten miles of unused open space (The Meadow Lands) directly north of the runways that are not used fully to gain altitude before the jets fly over a densely populated area. If the jets were required to stay over the Meadow Lands swamp they would be over 5000ft before flying over anyone’s home.
Recently, while Mayor Booker was giving the state of the city address at the NJPAC the police helicopter made the skies over Newark sound like Bagdad under attack.
If a heliport is necessary would it not be better to place it on a barge in Newark Bay on the other side of the airport away from any neighborhood? Not only would it be a better place regarding the noise issue but it would be safer for everyone if a chopper crashed into the bay instead of a school or someone’s home.
Should we not be able to enjoy our homes in peace and tranquility?
Regards,
Bill Chappel
Not for nothing but Newark already flies copters over the city. I actually think its a good idea to reduce crime. In a city like NYC, helos are being flown all the time over the city. Newark isn’t NY, but a city of Newark’s size is definitely going to experience noise pollution.
Helicopters can fly/hover in such patterns to reduce noise pollution in ways that planes simply cannot.
Its funny.
Steven Trenk is under investigation by the Federal Government, as I understand it, re: fraud and tax evasion – (US District Court Case number 3:06-cv-01004-MLC-JJH), recently just losing his appeal.
As I read the documents, Steven Trenk is refusing to provide incriminating documents in the federal government’s prosecution of him individually and as an officer of Techtron/Gold Crown (another failed company of Trenk’s that lost $12mm in investor money while he drew a $250k annual salary), citing his 5th amendment rights against self incrimination because, as he puts it in his pleadings, “the government will not agree to provide immunity from criminal prosecution”.
I am surprised that, with a federal criminal indictment coming down the pike against Steven Trenk (at least as seems to be expected by Trenk), that NPD wants to do business with Trenk and/or Air Pegasus.
Oh, and as for the Trenk family, here is his first cousin, Richard Trenk, the Mayors former law firm partner, mentioned in the article above in a recent news story:
“Township attorney Richard Trenk was the subject of an investigation, when it was discovered he was one of a group of investors which had entered into an agreement to purchase an office building owned by Organon and adjacent to its main site. Organon had been part of the redevelopment zone. Retired Justice Gary Stein, in a 53-page report released on Jan. 30, found that Trenk’s interest violated “prudence, caution and sound judgment,”.
And let’s not forget Steven Trenk brother, Jeffrey Trenk, convicted felon who ran TechSys, parent company of Techtron. Steven Trenk’s brother, Jeffrey, was convicted in 2002 of bribing an FBI agent posing as a broker and sentenced to 8 months house arrest and 5 years probation.
Papa Alvin Trenk must be so proud.
If Neward Mayor Cory Booker is serious about reducing crime, perhaps he should not have apparent and convicted criminals operating his “policing” for him, even if one’s cousin was the mayors law firm partner.
The people of Newark deserve better.
There is an article on http://www.kearnyontheweb.com about Kearny’s residents effort to stop the Heliplex.
Agree with KOTW. This is a ridiculous idea.