AOPA is stepping up
efforts to protect Albert Whitted Municipal Airport (SPG), located
on the bay in St. Petersburg (FL), from renewed attack. A
well-financed vocal minority of anti-airport activists have forced
an initiative onto this November's ballot demanding that the city
close the airport and turn at least half of it into a park by 2011,
10 years earlier than obligations to the FAA would allow.
"AOPA has been involved in the fight to keep Albert Whitted open
for years, winning many battles in the past," said AOPA President
Phil Boyer. "But as the issue comes to a head on this November's
ballot, we're bringing the full weight of AOPA's considerable
experience in protecting local airports to bear." Just last week,
Boyer and AOPA Vice President of Airports Bill Dunn traveled to St.
Petersburg to meet with airport advocates and discuss strategies
and how AOPA could support their efforts.
Over the weekend, while a well-attended airshow was going on at
Albert Whitted, local airport supporters published an advertisement
charging that the money behind the anti-airport activists comes
from developers who want do build high-rise condominiums on the
non-park half of the airport property. Local television interviewed
a lot of attendees, of all races and all ages -- all the
interviewees were supportive of the airport, and many couldn't
imagine why someone would want to wreck the one airport,
to build yet another park. [Ask Mayor Daley --ed.] Many
were skeptical that the "park" proposal was something that it
didn't seem on the surface.
There's plenty of trouble just beneath that surface...
Officially, the airport opponents' main argument is that when
the city accepted an FAA grant and the 20-year obligation that goes
with it to keep the airport open, the city violated its charter
that prohibits any lease obligation of more than 10 years without
voter approval. Airport supporters and the FAA say the city
willingly and knowingly accepted the grant, and that federal
obligations do not constitute a lease. The FAA has indicated it has
no intention of permitting St. Petersburg to pay off the grant for
this critical airport early.
So St. Petersburg voters are faced with three ballot initiatives
regarding Albert Whitted -- two for the airport and one against. No
one is trying to recall the city politicians who made such a
possibly-illegal deal in the first place -- and no one is
questioning their motives at the time.
"Once an airport is closed, it's gone for good. Closed airports
virtually never reopen," said Boyer. "St. Petersburg already has
over 2,400 acres of parks but only one airport. Albert Whitted
generates over $8 million in economic activity every year. Park
proponents' short-sighted efforts would not only set up an
expensive court battle with the FAA, which the city would lose, it
would deny St. Petersburg a potent economic engine and critical
access point to the national air transportation system."