2 Letters: More on the airport runway extension

Ormond Beach Observer
Opinion

I support the extension

Dear Editor:

I write to support the planned extension of the east-west runway. I have lived in Ormond Beach for more than 50 years and based and flew out of our airport for more than 30 years. The planned extension will enhance safety and will make the airport more attractive to businesses. I feel that Mayor Partington and the City Commission have acted responsively to our cities needs.

James G. White

Ormond Beach

Airport misinformation

Dear Editor:

To correct misinformation disseminated by airport runway extension proponents, emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act dated May 20 to June 2 of 2021, clearly state the city’s intention to ultimately extend the runway 400 feet to the east. The FAA informed city not to address the 400 feet to east as it will directly prejudge the National Environmental Protection Act; if the 400-foot extension was addressed, they would have to stop their supplemental environmental assessment and start over with new environmental assessment showing the entire 1000 foot extension — 600 feet west and 400 feet east. City had stated their urgency for the 600 feet to the west, so told FAA they put the 400 feet east in future "ultimate" plans as well as how glad they are to be moving forward with the SEA.

Other documents clearly show the 600-foot extension to the west will accomplish the purpose of accommodating larger, heavier aircraft and jets, touting a dubious potential economic benefit from “corporate jets that are larger and faster so they require more fuel which increases spending at the airport.”

The city’s rationales for expanding the airport are full of contradictions, revealed in the documents we have obtained. The airport continues to pile up an enormous debt to the general fund with no reimbursements since 2015, contrary to FAA written guidelines requiring airports to be “as economically self-sustaining as possible.”

For reference: Go to city's website and click on the 2015 Airport Master Plan. Keep reading, not only what I pointed out below.

Page 6-13, paragraph 1: Currently both runways accommodate all of the based aircraft at airport and most of the itinerant aircraft using the airport with little or no operational restrictions, for example, take-off weight restriction.
Go to the Environmental Report, page 7 of 55: Reliever airports like Ormond Beach who receive or anticipate regular usage by airplanes over 12,500 pounds should provide a runway length to support those users. There is documented need expressed by aircraft users to operate more capable airplanes on a frequent basis.

Karin Augat

Ormond Beach

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