"Florida airport booster refutes negative claims"

["Stephen Irwin" <stepheni@xxxxxxxxx>]

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Airport booster refutes negative claims 
Mayor vows solution as supporters, opponents clash 
By MARK I. JOHNSON 
The Daytona Beach (FL) News-Journal


NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- The fur keeps flying in the dogfight pitting pilots
using the city's airport against residents wishing freedom from aircraft
circling over their homes.

Mayor Sally Mackay and city commissioners have pledged they will work with
everyone to come up with an equitable solution.

"We are a small community, a tight community and we need to be good
neighbors to each other," she said after Tuesday night's City Commission
meeting. "It takes good neighbors to protect and enhance this town. We are
all involved."

Mackay is planning a series of town hall meetings on the airport noise
issue, but no dates have been announced.

Her comments came after Paul Rooy, president of Friends of the New Smyrna
Beach Airport Inc., appeared before the commission to dispute a variety of
assumptions raised by critics of the city's municipal airport.

With an overflow crowd of supporters and opponents filling the DeBerry Room,
Rooy went through a step-by-step analysis of claims made by those who say
their health, property values and pocketbooks have been negatively affected
by an increase in takeoffs and landings at the historic complex. They
attribute most of the increase to the growth of student pilots and flight
schools using the runways.

While the complainers haven't called for the outright closure of the
airport, Rooy said their solutions to the problems crash before they even
get off the ground.

He said the 22.6 percent increase in airport operations between 2002 and
February 2008 is commensurate with the state's population growth, boost in
airport usage throughout the state and motor vehicle registrations.

He also disputed claims the additional flights have lowered property values
of those living around the airfield, thus property owners should be
compensated for that loss. In its analysis, Rooy said, NSB Noise, an
anti-noise group, compared airport land to non-airport land, which is not
applicable.

"Our airport was already here when NSB Noise landowners bought, so their
land was already (less expensive) . . . is currently worth less than
non-airport land and will command a lower sales price when sold," Rooy said.
"Payments to landowners near the airport now would be double-dipping."

Friends member Dr. Arlen Stauffer said the airport is self-sufficient
financially, showing a $35,000 positive in revenues over expenses in 2007.

"There is not another city operation that can say that," Stauffer said. "You
can't say that about the golf course."

In addition, the Friends analysis estimated the businesses located at the
airfield provide 172 jobs and $13 million annually in economic impact to the
city.

Friends representatives said the way to address the noise issue is not
landing fees, which would cripple the facility, or closing it down, but
changing flight patterns to spread the noise around, which would be enhanced
with the reopening of an inactive runway.

The city should also require people purchasing property near the airfield be
informed of that fact and restrict development of surrounding land to uses
compatible to airport operations.

The presentation fell on deaf ears of some airport opponents.

While Linda Muessig, a resident of Isleboro subdivision just north of the
airfield, said she has no beef with local pilots, rather with flight school
operations, the problem is intolerable.

"If you love to fly, buy my house," she said. "I came to Florida for some
peace and quiet."

Airport Board Meets

WHAT: NSB Airport Advisory Board

WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday

WHERE: DeBerry Room of the Utilities Commission Building, 200 Canal St.

INFORMATION: The board is expected to discuss and appoint members to a noise
abatement committee and funding for a noise study; and hear a presentation
about landing fees at the airport.

   Post your opinion on this story in the CAA General Aviation Forum
http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php

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