The Airport Acres Neighborhood

Whether all of these have been achieved seem a worthy question in year-2003, and if not, why. These were serious business propositions for tax-payer investment.

The Authority was to

1. Plan development of airport uses
2. track uses and document expansion needs (clearly expansion was an early premise)
3. document financial needs and funding sources
4. respond to changing needs of the region
5. market the airport to business, industry, and government
6. respond to citizen concerns.

Since people in the neighborhood had many concerns, the latter function of the Authority was important and we are pleased that that is a formal charge for the Authority (unless recently changed).

The new director of the Virginia-TechMontgomery Executive Airport is Michael St. Jean. He became Director on March 6, 2002. The Authority is to be composed of one member from each contributing entity and one member at large. Mr. Huff is the Blacksburg member.

The Authority gets federal tax funding for projects: 98% for non-revenue producing capital projects, 100% for maintenance of non-revenue producing improvements, and 5-80% for non- revenue-producing improvements and equipment (in 2000).

The airport is said to stay in the classification General Aviation Airport. This differs from Commercial Passenger Service ports (Roanoke Regional) and Freight Service (New River Valley Airport - Pulaski). It will be in various administrative categories of corporate/executive/local community service ports.

In 2002 there are about 280 acres, 39 based aircraft, 4550-foot paved runway, full parallel taxiway, and has the AWOS, the non-precision localizer approach. The airport reference code is C-II and the aircraft typically using it are Lear, Westwind, Gulfstream I, and Falcon 50.There is a 6890-sq.ft. terminal with parking area valued at $16.5 million. It will still be property of Tech (30 year renewable leases).

To meet funding obligations, gasoline sales, thus traffic (through "marketing"), will have to be increased. Other funding sources are said to be hanger rentals, flight instruction fees, and aircraft sales.

There remains talk of expanding the runway to 5,550 feet (said to be in the 1995 plan) and to building T-hangers. The runway expansion would increase capability for Gulfstream III and Saberliner 80. Citizens have opposed these for several reasons. Mixed assurances about their reality have been received and decisions need to be made soon about the desirability of these by the neighbors of Airport Acres and other citizens.

Noise complaints may be registered through FAA 800-322-7873 (Eastern Region Coordinator) Call 231-4444 or Virginia Department of Aviation 804-236-3632 or FFA 703-285-2305

Major contacts are with don poff @FFA.gov
airmgr@prodigy.net
office 540-362-5712 and personal office, 362-1991.

The local coordinator is Clubert G. Poff, Manager, Roanoke AFSSC
5815 Airport Road, Suite B
Roanoke, VA 24012

The Alternative coordinator is John D. Hinkle, Manager Roanoke ATCT
1635 Aviation Drive, Second Floor
Roanoke, VA 24012 (540-362-1866)

The neighborhood concerns to which the Authority may( and hopefully will) continually respond are (at least):

• Sustaining or improving the quality of life in the neighborhood
• Minimizing taxes that we pay for an unwanted and cost-levying airport expansion adjacent to us
• Maintaining property values
• Maintaining or improving a healthful environment (given
  • the known effects of noise on heart health,
  • physiological stress, and
  • air pollution (major oil, gasoline, and other fumes affecting people with various lung disease)
• Retaining opportunities for reasonably quiet and safe-sounding (not being "buzzed") outdoor living and recreational conditions
• Improving safety and reducing possibilities for crashes, fuel dumps, or fires or fires spreading into the neighborhood.
• Maintaining reasonable hours of operation and use (excluding emergency uses)
• Avoiding use of the facility in drug traffic or other illicit purposes.