Thu, Dec 09, 2010
Land Owner Objects To FAA Prohibition Against "Wildlife
Attractants"
A real estate developer says that land use restrictions imposed
by the FAA around the Acadiana Regional Airport (KARA) amounts to
extortion on the part of the agency. He is objecting to the need
for FAA approval for development within a 10,000 foot radius of the
airport.
Developer Chris Jordon told the Daily Iberian that if
the FAA wants to have the right to approve use of land around the
airport, they should be required to buy the land. At the core of
the issue are two wastewater treatment ponds under development at
the south end of the runway, and a landfill at the northern end.
Jordon said that the land, which in his estimation is worth some
$5,000 per acre, should be paid for by the agency "if FAA's giving
out money."
Gordon Doerle, who owns the landfill, agreed that if the FAA
wants to control what is built on the land then they should have to
pay for it. Both see the issue as one of basic property rights.
FAA spokeswoman Lynn Lunsford said that "grant assurances" are
put in place at airports which receive federal funding because they
are "important to the National Airport System" to ensure safety at
those airports. The problem at KARA is that both the landfill and
the treatment ponds can attract birds or other wildlife, which can
be a safety issue near airports. Lunsford said KARA is being held
to the same standards as other airports. Neither the landfill or
the sewerage treatment ponds comply with FAA advisory circulars
outlining development acceptable near an airport.
Airport Authority Commissioner Ken Squires told the paper that
the FAA has been "a knight in ... shining armor" for helping
improve the airport. He said a comprehensive land use ordinance is
needed to put the issue to bed. He said the Parish is at fault for
allowing the two non-compliant entities to purchase land near the
airport. "If you're dumb enough to buy land at the end of a runway,
you should deal with the consequences," he said.
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