"Fort Lauderdale runway expansion decision delayed"

Wednesday, September 25, 2002

Runway expansion decision delayed
BY ERIKA BOLSTAD
The Miami (FL) Herald


Hundreds of residents and business people turned out Tuesday evening for
the county's final decision on whether to build a mammoth south runway
at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, only to have the
vote delayed as long as 90 days.

Broward County commissioners will spend three more months looking at the
environmental and noise impact of the proposed project, which would
create a 9,000-foot runway extending over U.S. 1.

''It's a prudent step to ensure that the environmental review is
thorough,'' said Commissioner Ilene Lieberman, who suggested the idea.

The county's consultant, Colorado-based Clean Airport Partnership, will
conduct the review. Commissioners added $60,075 to their $89,400
contract Tuesday to continue studying environmental issues at the
airport.

Steven Howards, executive director of the Clean Airport Partnership,
also recommended the county hire an aviation attorney to work with the
Federal Aviation Administration as the agency works on the environmental
impact statement for the project.

Despite the commission's postponement, they allowed dozens of the nearly
400 people at the public hearing to weigh in on the runway expansion for
nearly two hours.

Foes decried the noise and potential environmental damage, and
encouraged the commissioners to take a more active role in the expansion
plans rather than leaving all decisions to airport bureaucrats.

''The threat to our city of this airport expansion just can't be
overstated,'' said Dania Beach Commissioner Bob Mikes, a longtime
opponent of the runway expansion.

``This is not just about dollars, this is about quality of life.''

Although foes of the expansion describe the deferral as a victory,
supporters continued to urge commissioners to hurry to a decision. The
county needs to build the runway to encourage growth and to broaden
international business, said pro-expansion speakers at the hearing.

''The real issue here is time,'' said construction executive Terry
Stiles. ``The quality of life and economic well-being of our community
lies in this one decision.''

The commission's move to postpone a decision came the same day FAA
officials let the county know that the agency will be doing further
noise studies and will probably not issue an environmental go-ahead for
the project until February.

It's an about-face from a letter the FAA sent in August telling the
county it couldn't approve the south runway expansion if the county were
still exploring other runway options. Originally, an FAA decision was
expected in November.

Some pro-expansion commissioners were concerned the delay sent a message
that they weren't going forward with the south runway.

''At which point do you finally say this is going to be delayed to
death?'' said Commissioner Ben Graber, who along with Joe Eggelletion
voted against postponing the decision.

But Lieberman, who proposed the deferral, was careful to say that a
delay doesn't mean the county won't ever build the south runway. It
simply means more time to study how the county will proceed, Lieberman
said.

The FAA's further efforts to study the noise impact of the project has
given the county more time to look at options, said Commissioner John
Rodstrom, who heads an airport task force and has opposed the south
runway expansion.

''Step back and just take a look at this,'' Rodstrom said. ``We have
never really decided what kind of airport we really want to be.''


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