HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 13 1988 Airport Moratorium6A, Thursday, October 13, 1988, Vero Beach, Fla., Press -Journal
Sebastian River Area
• Grant • Micco-Little Hollywood * Barefoot Bay • Sebastian *.Fellsmere • Roseland • Vero Lake Estates
Airport Moratorium To Stay
In Effect Until Public Hearing
By PATRICIA DMALLA
Sebastian Bureau Chief
The airport moratorium will
remain in effect at the Sebastian
Municipal Airport at least until
after an Oct. 19 public hearing on
the airport master plan.
Councilman George Metcalf's
effort to have the city attorney re-
search the legality of the existing
moratorium ' and his motion to lift
the moratorium met with resis-
tance from other council members.
His motion to lift the moratorium
died for lack of a second.
In a memo to council, Metcalf
pointed out that the moratorium
appears to have been implemented
solely as a motion made by a
former mayor during the Jan. 2,
1985, workshop. He said there was
no evidence that an ordinance or
resolution had ever been passed.
Further, he asserted that legally
a moratorium could be imposed
only for health or safety reasons.
Metcalf said he wanted the city
to start planning an industrial park
on the approximately 200 acres
available for non -aviation use.
Assistant City Attorney Paul
Kreuzkamp said there were three
issues that would have to be re-
searched: whether the moratorium
was legal, whether it was imposed
legally, and whether the acreage at
the airport could be returned to the
tax rolls.
He asked whether the city
wanted to pay legal fees for two to
three hours of research when it
seems probable the city would be
making a decision soon on the
master plan.
Councilman Robert McCarthy
said if the council passes the air-
port master plan after the public
hearing, the moratorium would be
lifted automatically.
McCarthy, Mayor Richard Vo-
tapka and Councilman Ken Roth
spoke in favor of retaining the mor-
atorium until a master plan is
passed since the master plan has
land use provisions that would
affect how the property could be
used.
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