11. a. The commissioner may acquire airports or lands or rights therein, including aviation easements necessary for clear zones or clear areas, by gift, devise or purchase, when it is deemed to be necessary for the safe operation of the airport and the general public safety or necessary for the continued operations of an airport which is deemed to be necessary for a safe and efficient air transportation system in the State. In addition, the commissioner may acquire the development rights associated with any privately owned and any county or municipally owned unrestricted public use airport, as long as a covenant providing that the airport shall remain an unrestricted public use airport in perpetuity is included in the instrument recording the development rights purchase. Development rights may be acquired immediately, or over such time as may be negotiated, by contract, between the airport owner and the commissioner.

b. If the commissioner acts to acquire development rights pursuant to subsection a. of this section, at least 30 days prior to submitting a summary of the terms and conditions of such proposed purchase of development rights to the Legislature for approval pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2000, c.165 (C. 6:1-95.1), the commissioner shall:

(1) Acquire and consider at least two independent appraisals of the value of the development rights to be purchased;

(2) Hold a public hearing on the proposed purchase of the development rights at a site in or convenient to the municipality or municipalities in which those development rights are proposed to be acquired; and

(3) Provide notice of the public hearing, notice of the intent to acquire development rights, a summary of the proposed terms and conditions of the proposed purchase of the development rights, and a copy of any appraisals made pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection to the governing bodies of the municipality and county in which the development rights are proposed to be acquired, and to the members of the State Legislature representing the district in which the development rights are proposed to be acquired.

c. If the commissioner acquires an airport, the commissioner may contract for the operation of the airport or retain ownership without operating it. The commissioner may also sell any airport or airport land so acquired to a county or municipality or other public bodies on the condition that they operate the facility as an airport and that they may not sell the land without the commissioner’s approval.

d. Every contract for the transfer of a public use airport in connection with which the development rights have been sold pursuant to this section shall contain a provision providing for the operation of that airport as an unrestricted public use airport in perpetuity.

e. As used in this section, the term “unrestricted public use airport” shall only mean unrestricted public use airport as the term is defined in section 3 of P.L.1983, c.264 (C. 6:1-91) and shall be used in this section for airport license classification purposes pursuant to Title 6 of the Revised Statutes.

f. The Legislature shall, in addition to the appropriation made pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2000, c.165, make such other annual appropriations in future years as shall be necessary to effectuate the purposes of P.L.2000, c.165 (C. 6:1-95.1 et al.) in future years.

L.1983,c.264,s.11; amended 2000,c.165,s.1.