City Ignores Citizen Concerns About Airport Expansion

Here is a synopsis of the latest public information on the development of the Georgetown Airport Master Plan.

AIRPORT MASTER PLAN – LAST PUBLIC WORKSHOP

"Those who attended the Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) and Public Information Workshop on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 16, 2017 for the new 20 year Airport Master Plan Update, 16MPGRGTN, by Coffman Associates and were able to glance through the final chapters of the plan in the blistering short time provided since they were posted at “georgetown.airportstudy.com” on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017 obtained some important points including:

1. Attendees were again briefed that our citizens may own the airport, but FAA and TxDOT will provide state and federal funding to do with it as they will for a Central Texas Reliever Airport.  AND- by this new 20 year airport plan supposedly done by FAA standards, safety of those who fly expanded numbers of based aircraft and aviation operations holds far more concern by FAA than the health, safety and human environment of those on the ground who pay the costs.

2. The two “Public” members of the PAC never mentioned a word to the consultants of health, safety and human environment concerns and objections of the general public to continued expansion of airport aviation operations, need for mitigation measures to eliminate or reduce adverse impacts, and need for study of a superior, safer, alternate airport site.

3. The new plan continues the cumulative expansion of based aircraft and take offs and landings (operations) from the 1980 numbers of 48 and 31,550 annual to 400 and 133,400 annual with 764 peak day operations.  There is no concern or plan to move low level dangerous flight turning movements from over local “safety and noise sensitive areas” to safer undeveloped areas.

4. The North/South Runway 18-36 will be reconstructed and proposed for extension by 1000 LF and strengthened to accommodate heavier more dangerous aircraft already operating on the runway than it is designed to service.  Attendees were advised that FAA rules forbid any aircraft weight limitations.  Therefore, the new runway could service any weight of single or dual wheeled aircraft that any pilot determines can take off or land on the runway.  FAA simply does not care!  (Those on the ground – fend for yourselves!)

5. The 49 homes within the crash and explosion runway protection zones of the two runways on neighborhood streets of Bosque Trail, Del Prado Ln., Sabinas Ct., Cielo Dr., Pilot Pl., Vortac Ln., Cavu Rd, and Toledo Tr., the two sections of major roadways Lakeway Dr. and the section of Northwest Blvd remain in peril even if FAA approves a change in “visibility minimums” from 7/8 to 1 mile that would theoretically shrink the RPZ's and reduce the number of homes therein.  The city is under absolutely no obligation to purchase these homes and clear the RPZs.  (Buyers beware now and the future!)

6. The noise study done by the consultants using FAA required computer software limits adverse impacts of debilitating noise to that generated within the airport.  No study was performed tracking low level, wall shaking debilitating noise by dangerous pilots performing take off and landing turning movements over homes, schools, churches and nursing homes in the designated “safety and noise sensitive areas” of the airport. 

7.  Those opposed to this new 20 year Airport Master Plan must, at a minimum, do two things: (1) enter opposition comment statements on the designated location provided at “georgetown.airportstudy.com”, and (2) vigorously demand the FAA prepare a fully scoped Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 52 project, near $60 Million PROGRAM of capital improvements that provides facilities to accommodate new and dangerous expansions of based aircraft and operations proposed by this plan." 

Other concerns about uninspected, unenforced hazardous materials storage, handling, use, containment and disposal with respect to the Edwards Recharge Zone and Edwards Aquifer public water supplies and other important and vital public safety, health and human environment issues were also ignored by the city and the consultants.