To me the building of the dike has been an issue of why should citizens pay a part of its construction when the benefit will go only to the business community. I read Kathy Lantry's post regarding the reasoning used by the "Gang of Four" and I couldn't agree with them more. Far too often government will find a way to use money ear marked for another purpose for its new initiative. (As an aside, where do you think the money is coming from for the grants to faith based organizations?) The Mayor has found money for this project from 3M, a company that, I assume, will benefit from the flood wall. An interesting tweak to this story is that 3M evidently is receiving some St. Paul money in a grant that may cover the cost of their contribution. I wish I had more information on this but I don't. It just seems to me to be a bit of quid pro quo. What bothered me about the Mayor's press conference announcing this 3M contribution was his comment about the city council's blocking this development. In Jane's post below she raises some issues that haven't been discussed related to commercial passenger use. Can someone give me more information? I would assume that the airport needs a fire crew of some sort. Are the requirements different if an airport has commercial landings? As for security, I would expect that something would need to be beefed up if commercial passenger services were added. However, isn't there some sort of security service in place now? I would think the danger from a terrorist attack using a private aircraft or cargo aircraft would be greater then a commercial passenger aircraft. What is being done to ensure the security of these planes/flights? Now for the issue of residents and the flight paths. When you live on a bluff above an airport airplanes will fly over your house at a low level. Why? Because as soon as they fly over the bluff they are another couple of hundred feet above the ground. As someone who has spent a whole lot of time in this area, I know that there are numerous alternatives to flying over Mounds Park and/or West Side homes. What I don't know is how difficult an approach parallel to the river or NNW, between downtown and Metro State is for less experienced pilots. This may be the reason there are flights over Mounds Park. There certainly is no excuse for pilots using a flight path that is different from the one filed. If this is happening residents have an issue. However, this is a different issue than the flood dike and should be kept separate in discussions. Mike Fratto Payne Phalen
>>> "Jane Prince" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 01/08/2005 4:45:28 PM >>> 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/ _____________________________________________ 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/
