It has been more than a month since a devastating article suggested that the Monmouth County Commissioners’ plan to use eminent domain to seize the Monmouth Executive Airport was motivated by an agreement to furnish air travel to Netflix executives appeared -- and not one commissioner has publicly denied the connection, says Marlboro Republican Chairman Renzo Kolenovic

The article in the NJ Monitor by Dana DiFilippo pointed out that the county’s interest in using eminent domain to seize the 340-acre airport and another 400 acres surrounding the facility coincided with state, county and municipal support for a giant film studio in Fort Monmouth. https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/01/22/greed-over-netflix-studio-is-behind-countys-bid-to-take-over-private-airport-owner-says/

Alan Antaki, the owner of the airport and the surrounding property. has fought off the county’s eminent domain bid and repeatedly told county officials he has no interest in selling the airport. Monmouth County Commission Director Thomas Arnone tried to justify the private property condemnation in a 2024 speech in which he said he has a “pet peeve” that other counties own airports, but Monmouth County does not.

Kolenovic said county government should not be run on Arnone’s pet peeves. He urged the commissioners to be transparent about their reasons for wanting the 740-acres in Wall Township.

“The county commissioners have spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars exploring ways to take the airport from Mr. Antaki, without ever providing a believable reason why the county wants to take a profitable private business,” said Kolenovic a restaurant owner.

“The commissioners’ actions are insulting to those of us who believe in real Republican values and frightening to those, like me, who own businesses.” added Kolenovic.

“What is more disturbing is that the county commissioners may have been acting on behalf of the Netflix company to provide their executives and staff with a convenient airport close to the planned movie studio without bothering to include Mr. Antaki in their plans,” said Kolenovic.

The studio complex is slated to be built in Oceanport and Eatontown, along Route 35 on the former military base known as Fort Monmouth – just a few miles from the Monmouth Executive Airport.
“Why wasn’t Mr. Antaki asked to join the county and Fort Monmouth Revitalization Board to work with Netflix on its studio plan? Why is Commissioner Arnone trying to exclude the owner of the airport?” asked Kolenovic
Since the article appeared in the NJ Monitor, not one county government official has stepped up to deny that the reason for the county’s claim against the airport is connected movie studio executives in Hollywood. If that is not the case, why didn’t Commissioner Arnone deny the eminent domain claim is related to a deal with Netflix,” asked Kolenovic
According to the NJ Monitor article in late January: “A county spokeswoman did not respond to the New Jersey Monitor’s request for comment. Thomas A. Arnone, the Republican director of the county commissioners who is also a board member at the Fort Monmouth Economic Revitalization Authority, also declined to talk, but sent an emailed statement through the crisis management firm.

Arnone’s statement repeated the discredited position that the county had safety concerns about the airport, over which the commissioners have no jurisdiction
Regarding the Netflix studio plan, the NJ Monitor quoted Antaki’s attorney saying:
“It certainly is an interesting coincidence that all of a sudden, right after Netflix commits to spend a billion dollars in New Jersey, the commissioners have an interest in taking over this regional airport that they never had an interest in taking over before,” said Matthew Dolan, Antaki’s attorney.