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Trees to come down near the Carroll airport
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Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Hundreds of trees near the Carroll airport will be chopped down to make way for a lighting system, after the county maneuvered around an environmental protection easement, officials said.
The trees have stood at the center of the contested runway expansion, which commissioners approved last summer to lengthen the runway 1,300 feet to 6,400. Westminster residents opposed the longer runway, saying it would bring more noisy planes soaring over their houses.
Chief of Staff Steven Powell rejected in November cutting down the trees, but he said the decision could be sidestepped by moving the easement to another section of the forest.
“All along they disregarded the input from the citizens of the county,” said Robert Brink, a Westminster resident who opposes the runway expansion. “It seems like it’s in preparation for expanding the airport.”
The county, however, has insisted that the lights were planned before the runway expansion was considered to improve safety for incoming planes.
All the trees on about 1 1/3 acres at the airport will be razed and select others from about 7 1/2 acres will be cut under the county’s plan, officials said.About 330 trees are to be cleared, officials have said, but more than 1,400 will be planted at nearby Hashawha Environmental Center to make up for the loss.
It is unclear when the trees will be cleared, said Cindy Parr, the county’s chief of administrative services.
“It’s more than unfortunate that the commissioners don’t go along with what the people want,” Brink said. “They’re elected representatives; they’re supposed to represent what the people want. And the people don’t want this.”
msilvestri@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
11:08 AM MST on Fri., May. 9, 2008 re: "Residents hope bog turtles block expansion at airport"
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2:20 PM MST on Sun., Mar. 9, 2008
re: "Residents hire lawyers to save trees"
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7:45 AM MST on Fri., Nov. 9, 2007
re: "Airport manager removed amid expansion controversy"
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12:01 PM MST on Fri., Aug. 31, 2007
re: "Carroll looks to feds to ease airport woes"
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8:45 PM MST on Fri., Aug. 24, 2007
re: "State says black splotches on roofs are not jet fuel"
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Examiner Reader said:
The State of Maryland Heritage Group will do a Bog Turtle study as well. That group found the turtle in a wet land near the bi-pass. FEAR the TURTLE
6 agree | 3 disagree
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Barney said:
Hug a tree now, plant one later.
6 agree | 4 disagree
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Linda said:
This is a no brainer, of course the county would hire Delta, the same people that recommended the expansion, no objective decisions will be made there.
121 agree | 112 disagree
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Or... said:
Or maybe Tregoning can send his deputies out door-to-door to explain it all.
149 agree | 151 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Maybe the State Police can spend some of their extra $500,000 dollars to help solve this..
152 agree | 157 disagree
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