One Commish Questions Putting The Museum Near ... An Airport

The Fulton County Commission spent part of its meeting on Wednesday debating the merits of an Aviation Museum and community center planned near Fulton County Airport-Charlie Brown Field (KFTY) just west of Atlanta.

Plans for the museum have been in the works for over a more than a decade, according to commissioners Emma Darnell and Bill Edwards, who represent the airport area. The center is intended to show the history of the Tuskegee Airmen, among other things, and Darnell said the center could be a catalyst for young people to consider aviation careers.

But The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that another commissioner, Tom Lowe, vocally opposed the proposed $5 million project, comparing it to an amusement park near the city's baseball stadium which failed. Lowe said the museum would cost the county over $300,000 annually to operate.

Lowe also questioned the location of the museum. "If we're going to build an aviation center you better look at where it is," Lowe said. "It isn't going to be successful at the end of a runway. It's ridiculous." Lowe said it was likely to draw little more than school kids on field trips.

FMI: www.co.fulton.ga.us