Airpark Again.....Letter sent to Clearwater City Council

Mayor Hibbard:

My favorite subject again – unfortunately I leave early tomorrow for a long planned week long business trip to the west coast, so cannot voice my opinion in person concerning the proposed extension of airpark operating hours, so here they are again in writing.

Mr. Roper himself, as quoted in the St. Petersburg Times today, when talking about the number of planes that would make use of the extended hours stated “If you have three or four a month, you’d be lucky”. Why are the extended hours even being considered when so few people may use them, while so many residents of Clearwater will be negatively impacted by them?

The users of the airpark have a very viable alternative for late landings at PIE, just 6 miles away. I don’t feel a great deal of sympathy for the inconvenience an aircraft operator ‘suffers’ when they need to fly an extra few minutes after flying for a few hours from, as Mr. Roper states, Texas or Oklahoma, but I do feel that the sound of a twin engine plane flying a hundred or so feet over my house at 11pm will greatly inconvenience me and my neighbors.

Mr. Roper also stated “We’re doing this because this airport has to survive”. If 3 or 4 landings a month are necessary for the airparks survival maybe it’s time for the airpark to die. It is at best, effectively a breakeven business, delivering less than $10,000 a year to the city; maybe the city would be better served by closing it and expanding the recreational uses for the land, park, ball fields, etc. or selling it for development, which would surely deliver a lot more income to city in the form of taxes.

I am a resident of The City of Clearwater, I accept that there are many residents all with differing views, but I can tell you that in my neighborhood of 130+ homes not one resident wants to see the operating hours extended. In fact many want to see it closed seeing it not only as a noise pollution issue but as a safety issue.

Myself, I currently support the status quo; there should be no change in airpark operating hours.