CAA: GA News, "Wisconsin airport risks loss of federal funds, panel says"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thursday, September 26, 2002

Airport risks loss of funds, panel says
Crites Field must comply with safety rules to receive grant money,
official warns
By TANIA RUIZDELUZURIAGA
The Milwaukee (WI) Journal


Waukesha - Crites Field must comply with federal safety standards or
risk losing federal funding, the Waukesha County Airport Commission said
Thursday night.

"We are not eligible for federal grant money if we are not compliant,"
Airport Manager Keith Markano told the more than 250 people who attended
an informational meeting at the Waukesha County Exposition Center.

The federal government offers grant money for improvement projects,
Markano said. But if the airport is not compliant with safety standards,
the county isn't eligible for the grants. With runways due to be
renovated in the next few years, safety issues must be addressed soon.

"If safety issues are not addressed, it will cost the county $7 million
to fix the runways," he said. "The cost to the county to address the
safety issues and renovate the runway is $4 million because we then
become eligible for federal money."

The meeting was intended to introduce area residents to the long-term
airport expansion plan that the County Board approved in June.

The $52 million plan is the brainchild of Minneapolis consulting firm
Mead & Hunt Inc. Under the preliminary plan, 60% of the project will be
funded by the federal government, with the state and the county
splitting the remaining 40%.

Airport officials say the plan is intended to bring the airport into
compliance with federal aviation safety standards by increasing the
distance between runways and public roads. The main runway has been in
violation of safety standards since the 1980s when it was extended to
5,850 feet, bringing it too close to Pewaukee Road on the east and
Silvernail Road on the west.

Planners have proposed creating a tunnel for Pewaukee Road, and either
doing the same for Silvernail Road or closing it. The changes also would
allow the runway to expand in order to take on larger planes, something
that has area residents worried.

"I don't think this has been researched well enough," said Gloria
Cartwright of Waukesha. "The county supervisors don't really know what
they approved. It's very frustrating."

Cartwright said she'd like to see an economic impact study done before
the county commits millions of dollars.

Many were frustrated by the commission's efforts to control the meeting
by making people write down their questions, rather than asking them out
loud.

Commissioners said they would address only questions that directly
related to the plan. Some spectators tried unsuccessfully to ask
questions about noise or possible property devaluation.

"I feel like they're giving us a lot of information but skirting around
the real issues," said Laurie Weitzer of Waukesha.

Weitzer said that planes flying over her Hudson Way home often shake the
house and are so loud that conversation has to stop until the plane has
passed.

"I'm concerned that this means bigger planes and more of them," she
said.

More than 200 planes
The airport is already home to more than 200 planes, including corporate
jets owned by Quad/Graphics Inc. and GE Medical Systems. Airport
organizers said expansion would be considered as demand grows.

Waukesha Mayor Carol Lombardi opposes the plan, as does County Executive
Dan Finley, who did not include any funding for the project, or even an
impact study, in the 2003 budget.

On Monday, an amendment to the budget is to be proposed that would allow
for funding of an environmental impact study of the proposed airport
projects.

"We can't address noise until an environmental impact study is
conducted," Markano said.


   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA General Aviation Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/cgi-bin/dcforum/dcboard.cgi?conf=DCConfID2

*****************************************