"Airport Land Use: Airport committee objects to subdivision planned near airport"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Airport committee objects to subdivision planned near airport 
By Lacey Jacobs
The Fairfield (IA) Daily Ledger


With consideration of Cypress Villages subdivision on the Jefferson County
Board of Supervisors agenda this morning, Fairfield Airport Committee
chairman Bob Glocke voiced objections to a residential development near the
airport.

According to Glocke, the committee is primarily concerned with the safety
and use of the airport, which is located next to the subdivision proposed at
the corner of Highway 1 and Airport Road. Glocke presented a 10-point list
of objections relating to grant assurances Fairfield and the airport must
comply with, having received federal funds from the Federal Aviation
Administration.

"We're concerned about the future utilization of the airport," he said.
"There are many things that can affect the use of the airport because of
people living this close to it. It's really not recommended to put a
residential development right next to an airport."

The airport has plans to expand it's east-west runway onto land that would
be part of the subdivision. The expansion has been part of the airport's
master plan since 1981, he said.

The committee also has concerns about the possible creation of wildlife
attractions, safety and security, as well as liability issues.

"Two-hundred homes next to the runway will bring objections to sound levels
similar to the whistles on the railroad," Glocke said. In the future,
residents could attempt to close the airport during certain periods of the
day or change flight patterns, he added.

In conclusion, city administrator John F. Brown said, "I think our
opposition is in land use. Residential is probably the most incompatible use
of land adjacent to the airport."

The airport committee and city are not opposed to development of the land,
but want to make sure issues about noise and height restrictions are
resolved, he said.

In response to the objections, Roland Wells, one of the developers, said,
"We have tried and we will continue to try and be good neighbors to all of
our neighbors including the airport. We have no interest in preventing
development by the city, the county or the airport itself. [That's because
when the complaints start coming in from the new homeowners, the developers
will be long gone - ED.]

"I don't feel like this is a significant road block," he said.

The developers and engineers have researched and taken into consideration
restrictions according to FAA guidelines since the beginning of the project,
he added. "You never hear about the joy of people living next to an airport.
You hear about the problems," supervisor Mike Pech said. "I think all these
are good questions that were brought up and things that need to be addressed
and looked at."

Supervisor Steve Burgmeier said the board needs direction from the county
attorney before proceeding with the preliminary plat. He also asked the
developers to prepare a response to each of the objections from the airport.

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