HomeMy WebLinkAbout01 13 1990 Consultants Hear All SidesConsultants Hear All Sides
Airport Issues Rehashed, Re -Argued And Recalled
By PATRICIA DiLALLA
Sebastian Bureau Chief
In their day and half of interviews, consul-
tants for Sebastian's airport/community com-
patability study heard a compressed version of
several years of airport controversy and the di-
visiveness it has created in north Indian River
County.
Residents, pilots, organizations and business
people aired grievances about local government
indifference, special interest groups, lack of
public input on airport matters, the spread of
misinformation and scare tactics, noise' and
student pilots' rights.
Jean West and Linda Strutt, community
planners with Williams, Hatfield and Stoner
spent Thursday and Friday gathering the
information to consider while preparing a
scope of work that will determine what will be
included in the compatability study.
One question they asked airport activists was
whether it would be possible for people on both
sides to sit down in working sessions to try to
iron out the issues.
. The responses ranged from yes to maybe to
no.
John Evans, attorney for the Citizens Airport
Watch, said they would be willing to partici-
pate in such sessions.
Rick Giteles, a Roseland resident, said he
thought the divisiveness may have reached a
point where compromise would be difficult to
achieve.
And Steve Johnson, a fixed base operator at
the airport, said he didn't think the sessions
would accomplish anything because anti -air-
port people were not realistic in their approach.
Some of the options suggested Friday for
inclusion in the study were:
# John Reid, Florida regional representative
for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association:
do a federally approved noise study; do a finan-
cial analysis that would consider all available
revenue sources and economic benefits of the
airport on the community; assess the role the
Sebastian Municipal Airport plays in state and
national aviation networks; consider suitable
zoning ordinances; add the airport and master
plan to the city's comprehensive plan; consider
all ways .of setting up governing bodies for air-
ports.
A variety of special interest
groups and individuals gave their
suggestions on what to do with
the Sebastian Airport.
Steve Johnson, representative of the air-
port's fixed base operators: drop both voter -
approved charter amendments; rezone the area
around the airport and require notification to
potential buyers of property around the airport;
lift the moratorium; adopt a master plan; do a
noise study; do a finaicial impact study on the
airport's effect on the community; create a plan
for industrial development at the airport; main-
tain and improve the airport by paving
runways, adding taxiways, putting in additio-
nal lighting and providing public entrances.
# Councilman Lloyd Rondeau: close the
runway running northwest/southeast and
reopen the east/west runway; require air tra-
ffic patterns that keep planes north and west of
the populated areas of the city.
* Burt Snell, originator of a lawsuit against
the city: resurface runways. and put in new
lights; improve entrance roads; determine the
legality of using airport enterprise funds to) pay
legal fees; lift the moratorium; bring referen-
dum noise levels into conformity with federal
requirements; alert potential home buyers of
airport's proximity.
• Tom Feeney, attorney for owners of St. Se-
bastian Planned Unit Development: release re-
strictions on property if northeast/southwest
runway will not be extended; compensate
owners if changes are made that adversely
affect the property.
• Councilman Frank Oberbeck: reconsider
decibel limits for aircraft using the airport; re-
surface runways; put in additional lighting and
radio facilities; add industrial and commercial
development at the airport; obtain a declarato-
ry judgment on the legality of 1989 airport
charier amendment.
• Rick Giteles: educate student pilots on
ways to cut down on noise; restrict hours; build
a training runway west of city.
Ed Gilcher, former member of the Plan-
ning and Zoning Commission: do a noise study;
prohibit residential construction near the air-
port and require heavy insulation for homes a
set distance from airport; inform prospective
property purchasers of the airport's proximity;
revise the land development code to contain
measurable means of controlling residential
development adjacent to airport.
Roger Cooper, former member of the now -
defunct Airport Advisory Board: inventory air-
port assets and conditions and make recom-
mendations on repairs and -improvements; do a
noise study; consider zoning restrictions; add
an industrial park with light industry; look into
the economic effect of the airport on the com-
munity; address the legality of two charter
amendments.
• Richard Kennedy: do not make airport
bigger; no night flights; consequences of planes
flying over grammar school.
a Donald White, pilot: resurface entrance
roads and runways; put in lights for night
flying.
6A, Saturday, January 13, 1990, Vero Beach, Fla., Press -Journal
ebast'ian miver Area
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