Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 22 1989 Johnson says City Should Pay for Airport Plan6A, Monday, May 22, 1989, Vero Beach, Fla., Press -Journal Sebastian River Area • Grant • Micco • Fellsmere • Barefoot Bay • Sebastian • Roseland • Vero Lake Estates Johnson: City Should Pay For Airport Plan By PATRICIA DiLALLA Sebastian Bureau Chief A fixed -base operator at the Se- bastian Municipal Airport is scoff- ing at a city consultant's proposal to prepare a Community Airport Plan. The report, which would cost $15,500, is just an attempt to run the clock on the city's airport en- terprise fund, claims Steve John- son, co-owner of Sebastian Aero Services. "The city, not the airport fund, should pay for a community plan," asserted Johnson, an unofficial spokesman for the other fixed -base operators. "But they are not serious about it. If they were serious about it, they wouldn't permit houses to be built on top of the airport," he said referring to the Collier Place Planned Unit Development, which is located adjacent to the airport. Johnson and the other fixed -base operators oppose the airport char- ter amendments that would impose a landing fee and noise restrictions at the airport. They say the provi- sions violate their current leases and would adversely affect their businesses and general aviation. The city recently received a pro- posal from Apogee Research Inc., which was hired. by the airport attorney to conduct an economic analysis of the airport to help de- termine what the landing fees should be, to also prepare a Com- munity Airport Plan. The plan would "focus on how the airport can be integrated into the community, rather than addres- sing what can be done to maximize aviation activity at the airport," states the Apogee proposal. If the. city goes along with Apogee, then the economic analysis and the plan would cost $24,000, which would be paid out of the airport enterprise fund. City Manager Robb McClary, who supports the idea of such a plan, has said it could be inte- grated into the existing Airport Master Plan. Johnson doubts the need for the plan. "An Airport Master Plan is meant to deal with an airport. A city plan is meant to deal with the city. I think you should have a city plan. I don't think you should take a city plan and try to do it two ways." Airport Consultants -Have Very Diverse Backgrounds Through its airport attorney, the city of :Sebastian has hired two consultants to prepare noise and economic studies for the Sebastian Municipal Air- port. The studies will back up ordinances that are being pre- pared to implement the voter - approved charter amendments. The two firms have for- warded background Infor- mation on their organizations to the city. Apogee Research Inc. of Be- thesda, Md., which is prepar- ing an economic study on the airport, specializes in public works economics: finance and. policy with an emphasis on avi- ation. Among its clients, it claims the Federal Aviation Adminis- tration, the National Academy of Sciences; the Federal High- way Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as well as state and local' bodies and agencies in Canada. It has 30 professionals on its staff who specialize in econom- ics, finance, business and engi- neeri ng. If the city goes ahead with a Community Airport Plan, Johnson said he would not allow it to inter- fere with his business. "They can do what they want with the city plan, and I will do what I want with my lease. I do not plan on changing my business. They can change the city if they want. "The only way I will change is if they pay." While he has not changed his mind about suing the city if pro- posed ordinances affect his busi- ness, Johnson is less intense these days about the airport situation. As far as he is concerned, it is in the hands of the Federal Aviation Administration, which will see that the airport is protected, he said. Eliot Cutler, the city's airport attorney, and the legal staff of the FAA in Washington plan to meet soon to determine what obstacles may exist in Cutler's preparation of the ordinances implementing Apogee proposes a two-phase approach on the airport that would include an economic analysis and Community Air- port Plan that would' cost $24,000. An environmental noise study of the airport is being, conducted by G. Hogan & Associates of Newport Beach, Calif. Hogan has 21 years of feder- al experience in the field of air- traffic control in all levels of operation and management from assistant controller through facility chief. Among his accomplishments, his resume shows he has worked' on projects involving the joint civil/military opera- tion of a facility in El Toro, Calif., preparation of a master plan for the Jidda airport in Saudi Arabia, preparation of a feasibility study/preliminary master plan for an airport in Shenzhen, China. He has licenses as a control - tower operator, air-traffic con- trol specialist and single -engine commercial pilot. the charter amendment. Cutler is expected to attend Wednesday's council meeting to give members an update on the sit- uation. The ordinances must be passed within 90 days of the March 14 election and in effect 30 days later. Meanwhile, Johnson has not entirely given up his activist role. He is continuing his effort to raise signatures on a petition asking the FAA to remove control of the airport from the city by using the reverter clause contained in the land grant deed, and turn over control of the airport to the .state. Johnson estimates 1,000 signa- tures have been gathered so far, and as pages of the petition are filled, he has been forwarding them to the FAA office in Orlando. ..".