"Planning leader urges joint work on Peotone, ill.-area airport plan"

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Planning leader urges joint work on Peotone, ill.-area airport plan
The Chicago (IL) Tribune


The president of the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission told a
Will County Board committee Tuesday that successful planning for a
proposed airport near Peotone will require a consensus rather than the
two proposals now competing for building the airfield.

New Lenox Mayor Mike Smith, who also serves as president of the Will
County Governmental League, told the legislative committee that county
officials, who back one of the proposals, need "to keep an open mind and
take a broad regional approach" in planning the airport.

"What's needed is to get everybody together to reach a consensus," Smith
said.

The hearing was the last of six designed to help the county put together
a legislative proposal next year for creating a county airport
authority.

Will County, under the leadership of County Executive Joe Mikan, is
proposing to establish a county aviation authority governed by a
13-member board that would oversee the planning, construction and
operation of the proposed airport.

The other proposal is backed by U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and
calls for an airport authority made up of mayors from southern Cook,
Will and Kankakee Counties to govern the airport and oversee its
construction and operation.

Supporters of both plans are seeking the endorsement of state
transportation and legislative officials.

"There are two opposing parties who want to build and control the
airport, but for the project to be successful they have got to come up
with a consensus," Smith said.

Following his testimony, Smith said the Illinois Department of
Transportation could help iron out the differences. It's important that
the state remains a "big part" of the airport planning process, he said.

State transportation officials have indicated that as soon as an entity
is selected to develop and operate the airport, they plan to back away
from the project.

"Without the state continuing to be an important part of the planning
process, it will be that much harder to do local airport planning,"
Smith said.

The committee also heard from William Blake, Great Lakes regional
representative of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, who urged
the county to consider the needs of general aviation in their plans.

Blake said the proposed airport could benefit corporate jet and
recreational aircraft owners who have trouble finding available slots
and hangar space at existing airfields.

"If you provide facilities for general aviation at an affordable cost,
you're going to have a lot of business," Blake said. "General aviation
customers would be available the day it opens."


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