Bedminster Township is bracing for beefed up security and inconveniences as Presidential Donald Trump makes his first visit to Trump National since his inauguration.
BEDMINSTER - President Donald Trump has been to his Trump National Golf Club many times as a private citizen. He has been there as a presidential hopeful. He has been there as the president-elect.
But Trump has never been there as the sitting president of the United States.
"Having him in town is nothing new," Bedminster Mayor Steve Parker said in advance of the president's first visit since inauguration day to the golf club that bears his name. "But having him in town with his new title is.
"I think there some curiosity and anticipation. I've been at some functions this week and everyone is asking me about it. I think most residents are cool about it. I don't mean that in a negative way. They're just taking it in stride."
As the township prepares for Trump's expected arrival, Parker said he and residents don't really know what to expect. The PGA-caliber golf course and its bucolic scenery has been a favorite retreat for Trump during the summer, and this could be the first of many visits here during his presidency.
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NJ Working Families and a number of other organizations - including Action Together, CWA, the Sierra Club and We the People 7 - plan protests in the township this weekend. They announced plans to put up protest banners on overpasses along Interstate 78 on Thursday and will have a "people's motorcade" along Lamington Road, which runs in front of Trump National, on Saturday. Vehicles will be covered in Protest Trump signs.
The last time the Trump visited his golf course was in November as the President-elect to conduct interviews for his cabinet.
"The president-elect doesn't get as much pomp and circumstance as a sitting president," said Parker. "This visit will be a bit different. I don't know if we really known how it's going to be until we see it. There are a lot of unknowns.
"We're preparing for a lot of scenarios. It's a lot of wait-and-see. Our township police have been working with the Somerset County Prosecutor's Office, the State Police and the Secret Service. We're expecting that security will be beefed up significantly."
Details such as road closures have been kept secret. The golf course is located on Lamington Road, a rural, two-lane road. A portion of it is expected to be closed when the president is staying at Trump National, and no parking or standing will be allowed on the shoulder, but the mayor and township administrator offered no specifics.
"We have been instructed by the Secret Service not respond to questions like that," said Township Administrator Judy Sullivan.
Trump is scheduled to spend Thursday night in New York City before traveling to Bedminster, according to the Palm Beach Post. He's expected to stay at his golf course from Friday to Sunday.
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There will be a 30-mile temporary flight restrictions in the Morristown and Bedminster airspace from Friday to Sunday, it was previously reported. It's not known exactly when and how the President will arrive at the golf course. It has speculated that he could fly into either Newark Liberty International Airport or Morristown Airport, then travel to Bedminster by Marine One helicopter.
Many members of the Somerset County GOP say they are happy to have Trump come to Bedminster.
Even though Hillary Clinton won Somerset County in the general election over Trump by a vote of 83,839 (54-percent) to 64,640 (42-percent), "I think the county party has embraced him," said State Sen. Christopher "Kip" Bateman (R-16th). "Obviously, not every individual. I don't agree with him on a lot of his policies, but we all respect him as president. Him coming to New Jersey is an honor.
"It causes some logistical issues, but to have the president of the United States visit your county is a good thing. I think people have accepted the results of the election and want to see him succeed for the good of the country."
Freeholder Peter Palmer agreed. "My personal opinion of the president is that I support him," Palmer said. "I'm very enthusiastic about his pledge to spend a trillion dollars on infrastructure projects. I think the county GOP has a good relationship with the Trump administration."
Trump has traditionally liked to spent his winters at Mar-a-Lago Club, his resort in Palm Beach. When the private club closes from June to August, at time when heat and humidity is at its highest in Florida, he often then came to Trump National in Bedminster.
The township has estimated it could cost as much as $302,000 to cover seven Trump family visits to the golf club each year, in part because the township's department is small, requiring overtime to handle 24-hour security, it has been reported.
The mayor confirmed that he has been told that the township will be reimbursed for security-related expenses paid out during the president's visits by the federal government, in large part through the efforts of Congressman Leonard Lance (R-7th).
"Bedminster will be eligible for reimbursement for funds after they have been expended," said Parker, adding that the same will apply to the president's visits to Trump Tower in Manhattan and Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach. "We're very pleased."
Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.