CAA: GA News, "High hopes for the future: Plotting strategy for Florida airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, March 13, 2002 

High hopes for the future: Plotting strategy for airport
By AARON LONDON
The Daytona Beach (FL) News-Journal


While most people look at the Flagler County Airport and see a small
airfield serving general aviation needs, some see it as a keystone in
the county's economic development efforts. 

"As an economic development tool, the airport has really been a sleeping
giant," says County Administrator David Haas. "We're just trying to wake
that giant up." 

The county is looking for some help with that wake-up call from the
Florida Association of Counties, through a Rural Development grant. 

The grant, which is being considered, seeks $80,000 to develop a master
plan for the proposed Airport Industrial Park project. 

Haas said the grant would be used to prepare the necessary groundwork --
both figuratively and literally -- to get the project off the ground. 

"The first step is to identify what uplands are available for
redevelopment and to identify the wetlands," he said. "The next logical
step is come up with a specific layout and plan." 

That includes how to create usable parcels, determine access points to
the industrial park area and other nuts and bolts issues, Haas said. 

Having the plan will put the county in a position to develop the site. 

"In addition, to that, we're also doing research and getting ourselves
prepared for any large company that may want to locate in our industrial
park," Haas said. "We'll be able to actually put in infrastructure and
be ready when a business says they are looking to relocate to our
airport." 

The grant application isn't the only avenue the county is pursuing,
however. 

"We're trying to move forward on all fronts so that when we have the
stormwater plan in place, the plan for the infrastructure and funding
ready, it will be very significant for the county," Haas said. 

The importance of the airport project for county economic development is
something Flagler County Palm Coast Chamber of Commerce executive
director Dick Morris sees every day from the chamber's headquarters at
the facility. 

"We've been waiting for years for this to develop," he said. "It's like
a diamond in the rough waiting for us to develop." 

Morris said the industrial park is a major part of the economic
development plan for the county and is something that has been needed
for a long time. 

"There's been committee after committee that's discussed it," he said.
"Now it's time to do it." 

The grant application is not only designed to provide the necessary
funding for the master plan, but direct assistance as well.In the
county's application packet, officials stress that the county's needs go
beyond just funding. 

"Flagler County's limited funding and small staff make it difficult to
effectively develop this plan," according to the application.
"Assistance from the Florida Association of Counties would greatly
assist the county in launching this project." 

The county's application is one of 11 sent to the association. It is
anticipated that three of the applications will receive grant approval.


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http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID2

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