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Thirty residents attend new anti-expansion group’s meeting
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Related Topics: WESTMINSTER, Md.
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Siniti Oneda, left, and his wife, Victoria, stand outside their Westminster home, and its recent $30,000 addition, with their signs in opposition to a proposed Carroll County airport expansion that they say would increase noise, harm their health, as well as hurt property values, on Thursday.
WESTMINSTER, Md. (Map, News) - About 30 residents from all over Carroll County brainstormed Wednesday night about how to stop a proposed airport expansion at the inaugural meeting of a new group formed for that purpose.
“Time is a factor because the vote is scheduled for less than two weeks away,” said Robert Brink, who co-chairs Concerned Citizens United, which sent a letter to commissioners this week asking that a vote on a proposed runway expansion at Carroll County Regional Airport in Westminster be postponed from June 12 to Dec. 12.
Residents from Westminster, Sykesville and Manchester packed a back room at Baugher’s Restaurant, where they aired frustrations about potential threats of lowered property values, increased noise levels, more traffic and heavier pollution.
Bruce Haines, the nephew of Republican Sen. Larry Haines, who represents Carroll and Baltimore counties in the Maryland General Assembly, also attended and shared concerns about selling his house when he takes a job in Alabama in six weeks.
Members of the Carroll Joint Neighborhood Association, which has been railing against the project for more than a year, also attended and said they welcomed more residents getting involved.
The uncertainty of how property values will be affected by airport expansion has residents especially worried.
An asphalt plant and two houses — one a log cabin and the other a hog farmer’s home — have been identified as eligible for Federal Aviation Administration funds for purchase and relocation, but no houses will receive FAA money for soundproofing, according to Michael Waibel, senior airport planner for URS Corporation, a county-hired consultant.
On Thursday, Victoria Oneda, a Concerned Citizens United spokeswoman, said she was in the process of getting a lawyer.
“That is their right to pursue legal action,” Commissioner Michael Zimmer said. “That’s why the courts are there, if people decide they aren’t happy with a certain outcome.”
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
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5:21 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 8, 2007
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8:59 AM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
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11:23 AM MST on Fri., Jun. 1, 2007
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10:47 AM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
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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.
3 agree | 4 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.
178 agree | 199 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!
204 agree | 182 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.
313 agree | 241 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.
221 agree | 223 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
195 agree | 200 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.
211 agree | 205 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
224 agree | 206 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.
209 agree | 188 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.
465 agree | 215 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.
432 agree | 239 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.
217 agree | 208 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!
233 agree | 212 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.
239 agree | 218 disagree
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