To Michelle Hoffman's point, I heartily agree with the notion that the Holman Field dike will lead to expansion of air traffic and a commensurate destruction of our city's quality of life.
As a 20-year resident of the Mounds Park neighborhood, I have followed the issue of airport noise and flight path violations and the past several years of the MAC's efforts to build a $25-30 million floodwall at Holman Field. There is NO cost-benefit basis for the $30 million floodwall, unless MAC is going to increase air traffic at the downtown airport. MAC staff have been willing to admit at various times that in the near term, once the dike is built, cargo traffic will be moved to Holman Field from MSP International, to free up tarmac there for commercial airliners. In the mid-90s, a small start-up commercial airliner ran two trips a day to Midway Airport in Chicago. Now MAC tells us that Holman will not be used for commercial passenger flights because they don't have the security set-up for passengers and they don't have a fire station on site. I daresay that both of these expenditures are tiny compared to that of the floodwall. The other day Charlie Swope asked how Mayor Kelly has the power to act on airport issues unilaterally without city council participation. Indeed, how can St. Paul consider the construction of a floodwall that will lead to increased air traffic without public study and discussion? The floodwall immediately impacts the river environment, wildlife habitat, flooding upriver in our own city, and downriver in Newport and Hastings, and has been opposed by railroads with tracks adjacent to the river. The St. Paul Riverfront Corporation testified during the EAW process a couple of years ago that the city should only support the construction of the floodwall if the MAC agrees to assist in the increased cost of flood clean-up at Harriet Island. And while cities like Bloomington, Rosemount and Eagan have weighed in on expansion or relocation of the current international airport in their area, why is St. Paul not entitled to a public process to determine if there is support for an expanded use of Holman Field? Ask any of my neighbors, who can read the wing numbers of the planes flying over our houses how responsive the MAC has been on citizen complaints. There is no enforcement of the flight paths or concern for residential neighborhood complaints, regardless of what the Pioneer Press may state. Citizens stop calling when their calls are ignored. St. Paul's RESIDENTS now pay 64 percent of St. Paul's property tax base. Why should we be supporting the expansion of an airport that is going to reduce the quality of life and property values of our residential neighborhoods? Why is St. Paul not investing in the quality of life, safety and beauty of residential neighborhoods who pay the lion's share of the city's property taxes? While Mayor Kelly and his St. Paul Chamber friends want to expand airports and freeways where we live, maybe it's time to remind them who is paying the bills in St. Paul. _____________________________________________ To Join: St. Paul Issues Forum Rules Discussion Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [email protected] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
