Claims He Learned About Restricted Plan From Newspaper

Scott Avedisian, mayor of Warwick, RI has accused the Federal Aviation Administration of failing to notify the city about its reduced plan for runway expansion at T.F. Green Airport.

The FAA will conduct a meeting Thursday night where it is expected to outline PVD runway expansion scenarios, including one that scales back the length by 650 feet from the original proposal. Avedisian is upset because he only learned of the new proposal through newspaper reports a couple of weeks ago.

Avedisian has been at odds with the FAA on this issue since at least 2004, as ANN reported.

"Warwick residents and city officials deserve the common courtesy of a formal notification and hard copies for review prior to a press release introducing the latest proposal for a 8,700 [foot] runway," Avedisian said in a letter to the FAA. "The City of Warwick relies on the FAA to provide pertinent information in a timely manner in a form that rises above a press release."

The FAA has investigated the various elements associated with expanding the currently 7,166 foot runway expansion since 2005. The agency-recommended length of 9,350 is necessary to accommodate larger aircraft for non-stop service to the West Coast.

Then, in an unexpected move, the agency abruptly changed its mind and announced that it would consider an 8,700-foot plan. The revised plan would affect fewer homes, cost much less, and still allow for the nonstop coast-to-coast service critical to growth, according to the Providence Journal.

Avedisian complained the city and its residents didn't have enough time to process this new information in time for Thursdays meeting, which was scheduled prior to the FAA's announcement. Avedisian said he has yet to receive any related informational materials from the FAA.

Jim Peters, FAA regional spokesman, said Thursday's meeting is not the formal hearing required by federal law as part of all expansion projects. This particular meeting is for the FAA to outline its proposed plans to the public and provide a question and answer period.

The formal public hearing will be scheduled sometime early next year, after the FAA selects a final recommendation, he said.

Opponents of the expansion say they will attend the meeting but fear they won't get the answers they are looking for.

"The FAA keeps switching the absolute minimum length of the expanded runway. I think that shows that their credibility is shot as far as their ability to predict the need for expanded facilities at the airport," said resident and airport watchdog Michelle Komar.

FMI: www.pvdairport.com, www.faa.gov