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Airport’s runway plan threatens asphalt plant
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Related Topics: Carroll County
Carroll County (Map, News) - An asphalt plant would have to be demolished to make way for a longer runway if Carroll County commissioners adopt the airport proposal recommended to them Tuesday.
The county would have to buy the Westminster asphalt plant owned by C.J. Miller, a Hampstead-based construction company, if commissioners take the advice of Carroll County Regional Airport’s Technical Advisory Committee, a group charged with updating the airport’s master plan. The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to update their master plans every 20 years.
The committee recommended that the airport’s runway be extended from 5,100 feet to 6,400 feet and relocated 250 feet to the west and 600 feet to the north to create an adequate buffer between the runway and new hangars, said Michael Waibel, a senior airport planner with URS, a consulting firm.
Residents living around the airport oppose the expansion, citing noise, pollution and devaluation of property values.
Businesses wishing to fly corporate jets from the Westminster airport are fueling the demand to extend the runway, which would increase operations — defined as either a landing or takeoff — from 360 to 650 a day, TAC member Gary Horst said.
The upgrade also includes an instrument landing system, which guides approaching aircraft.
“It’s kind of unusual” that an airport of this size doesn’t have one, Waibel said.
The Federal Aviation Administration will pay for 95 percent of the estimated $56 million project, with the Maryland Aviation Administration and airport users splitting the rest.
A public hearing will occur this month before a draft plan is submitted to the FAA.
C.J. Miller III, vice president of C.J. Miller, could not immediately be reached for comment.
kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
8:25 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 29, 2008 re: "BWI struggles as international magnet"
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6:51 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 8, 2007
re: "Airport meeting disappoints"
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5:21 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 8, 2007
re: "Airport meeting disappoints"
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8:59 AM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
re: "Airport expansion plan doesn’t fly with some county residents"
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11:23 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007
re: "Nine write to county officials on airport plan"
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11:22 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007
re: "Nine write to county officials on airport plan"
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5:09 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007
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1:11 PM MST on Thu., May. 31, 2007
re: "New anti-expansion group demands delay of airport vote"
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12:09 PM MST on Thu., May. 31, 2007
re: "New anti-expansion group demands delay of airport vote"
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10:47 AM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
re: "Airport’s runway plan threatens asphalt plant"
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6:41 AM MST on Sat., May. 26, 2007
re: "Qatar Airways, others, offering new flights to Dulles"
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1:59 PM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007
re: "FAA taking steps to reduce airplane noise after complaints"
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5:36 AM MST on Mon., May. 21, 2007
re: "Anti-expansion group submits petition"
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1:14 AM MST on Wed., May. 2, 2007
re: "FAA taking steps to reduce airplane noise after complaints"
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Examiner Reader said:
The most obvious reason why Maryland cannot attract international business is that the state beurcacrats, most of who come from the hick town Baltimore, refuse to even acknowledge the Nation's Capital which is enaces by Maryland by three sides. The state may have changed the name of the only state-run airport to include Washington, but that's as far as the politicians go. In Maryland, everything is about Baltimore, despite the true economic engine of the state being Montgomery County, which is struggling to compete with Northern Virginia, a region with a huge international business center. Maryland has failed in so many ways. It's a hick state through and through.
6 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Mr. Rau makes some good points, however his references to noise and property values at the Greensboro airport are not a good comparison to the situation in Carroll County. Greensboro is an international airport with regular commercial passenger flights. That is not and will not be the case here.
180 agree | 201 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This airport issue is NOT about accepting the FACT that Westminster is growing. It actually has little to do with the growth of Westminster. Did the last expansion "boost" enormous growth for Westminster? Corporations can currently use CCRA without an expansion. Remember - its already a safe airport at its current size - this airport has a good safety record now - let's get other current issues cleaned up before even considering adding more!
207 agree | 185 disagree
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Jodi Siu said:
There are also Carroll residents that want to see the expansion. I think it is a great thing! It will be safer for our many pilots in the county and quieter for those close to the airport. Growth is a good think any people should accept the fact that Westminster is growing.
316 agree | 244 disagree
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George Grubby said:
I have no tolerence for public official or citizens who speak out against abusive spending and taxes untill they stand to be on the receiving end of such funds. Yes, most likly if we do not accept these funds they will go somewhere else, however it is that attitude which fuels the perpetual motion of ever rising taxes. I urge or commisioners to live up to their conservative principals and say no to the temptation of federal money and not to forfiet values for value.
223 agree | 225 disagree
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lisa said:
I moved to carroll county to get away from the noise. Please leave things the way they are. the citizens of carroll county should speak not the government
197 agree | 202 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I also sent a letter. Why was I not mentioned as one of the nine? Is the opposition being hidden? NO AIRPORT EXPANSION. The citizens are against the Expansion. Commissioners, represent the people.
213 agree | 207 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I ran across your stories on the internet while looking for help for our town's opposition to the airport expansion. I live around the Crisfield-Somerset Cty Airport in Crisfield, MD. Our county (Somerset) had an Environmental Assessment done by URS (May 2007)- as a result of this study the county wants to take 3 homes/33 acres of trees/8 acres of wetlands. WE ARE IN AN UPROAR over this. We are a very small town with a very small airport. We do not need an increase in the amt of planes, in size of planes & noise. 80% of residents around airport are retired or close to it. We have 700 signatures on our petition, we sent copies to FAA, URS, local, state & federal politicians. As a result of this, a public hearing is planned for us to speak against this expansion. You should be afforded the same opportunity as us. Contact your commissioners. We have just taken the next step closer to winning, but who knows what are real chances are. I wish you all luck. M. Atkins
226 agree | 208 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Perhaps the Commissioners need a pay raise. 45K would make anyone fight the system. Lets get three new Commissioners and give them a pay raise to lead this County for the people. We voted for these and we need a new batch.
211 agree | 190 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
To set the record straight: My family has been near the airport for almost 50 years. We didn't "buy" a house near the airport. We were here before the airport. I have spoken to many others who say they were told by the county there were no plans for expansion. One woman said she even went to the planning department and checked before she bought her house. If the county wants to expand the airport, they should not have allowed (and continue to allow) so many housing developments near the airport. Where is proper "Land Use Planning"? The County's claims that "airport users" will pay for the expansion costs is nonsense. It is the taxpayers who will pay. There is no hard and fast line between the Carroll County Airport Enterprise Fund and county taxpayers' general fund. Watch the numbers. This year the new hangars show up in the "Privately Funded" column. Watch what happens next year. Mysteriously, those numbers will drift back into the "County-funded" column.
467 agree | 217 disagree
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Anti-NIMBI said:
Wow, what can I say; if not having airplanes fly over your deck while you sip your martini is important to you, maybe next time don't buy a house near an airport.
433 agree | 240 disagree
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Las Vegas resident said:
Recently the FAA has imposed a new flight path over a large amount of homes in west Las Vegas. They said there would be no compromise or restrictions. I came across this article and it tells me the FAA are hypocrites! Being the fastest growing city for the last 25 years the quality of life has gotten worse with traffic, crime, and now massive jet planes flying over my house from 6 A.M. to 1 A.M. You are lucky to get some kind of compromise with the FAA.
218 agree | 209 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The citizens of Carroll County truly need to be heard and taken seriously in this issue. This proposed expansion is not in the best interest of the county's loyal citizens. This proposed expansion has no justification to economically sound. This proposed expansion has no benefit for the county's own citizens who strive to make Carroll County a great place to live! Keep Carroll County Beautiful!
234 agree | 213 disagree
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residents being ignored said:
If i came to your house and did loops around it on my dirt bike you would call the police and i would be in trouble for noise and property damage.what police do we call for your noise and property damage? i cant stand the noise or turbulance in the past 3 years,nothing has been done about it,the cracks in my ceilings and walls are getting bigger,it wakes me up in the middle of the night.we can not open our windows here.not to mention the health and saftey issues..no one has paid for any sound proofing yet.before this plan is even thinkable you should take care of the damage that is already caused to tinicum.BEFORE IT GOES ANY FURTHER.
242 agree | 220 disagree
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