"Fort Lauderdale tells Broward to stop airport construction"

Friday, September 5, 2003

Lauderdale tells Broward to stop airport construction
By Brittany Wallman 
The Fort Lauderdale (FL) Sun Sentinel


FORT LAUDERDALE -- In a showdown over the future of the Fort
Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, the Fort Lauderdale City
Commission voided Broward County's development approval late Wednesday
night, ordering them to cease all construction of the 14 gates and
parking structure there.

The 4-1 vote, with Commissioner Dean Trantalis dissenting, grew from a
showdown over the planned expansion of the south runway at the airport.

City officials want the runway built, because it would spread the burden
of airplane traffic to other cities.

The county had agreed to build it previously but wanted to study other
alternatives.

County officials say the city has no right to revoke its development
approval, and both sides agreed the case would go to court.

"It means their development order is temporarily void," City Attorney
Harry Stewart said.

"If you do that it hurts not only they airport but it hurts you all. It
hurts tourism and business," County Commissioner John Rodstrom said.

The city argued that it could anticipate the county would breech its
approved development order for the expanded airport because of the
public positions the County Commission has taken.

But the county disagreed, saying it has until 2015 to finish all
construction.

"The board ... has taken no action which could even be remotely
construed as a violation," argued county attorney Ed Dion.

The county maintains that it is still following the path it began long
ago, to expand the airport and its runway.

The County Commission has never voted to eliminate the 9,000-foot south
runway from its plans. Instead, it voted in March to open the
possibility for other options, while moving ahead with plans for the
runway at the same time.

Right now, commercial airliners land on a main north runway, using a
diagonal runway on occasion. The existing south runway is too small for
commercial jets. Fort Lauderdale officials say it's time to spread the
burden of noise by expanding the south runway as earlier agreed to.

But cities that would be affected by that runway, Hollywood, Davie and
Dania Beach, are fighting the proposal. Critics have said the runway
would destroy wetlands and harm neighborhoods and John U. Lloyd State
Park with noise.


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