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Residents against expansion petition county lawmakers
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Related Topics: WESTMINSTER, Md.
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Westminster resident Mary Kowalski, 46, second from left, and her father, Frank, left, protest the proposed runway expansion of the Carroll County Regional Airport in Westminster on Monday.
WESTMINSTER, Md. (Map, News) - It was a two-pronged attack.
A group working to block a proposed airport expansion sent letters to the governor and lawmakers to plead for an intervention and protested outside Carroll County government offices Monday.
“With [Federal Aviation Administration] funds paying for a lot of this, the federal government must be pushing” for the expansion of Carroll County Regional Airport, said Siniti Oneda, co-chairman of Concerned Citizens United, an anti-expansion residents group.
CCU sent a letter to various officials, including Gov. Martin O’Malley, U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, state Delegates Tanya Shewell and Nancy Stocksdale, and State Sen. Larry Haines.
“We consulted with an attorney experienced in airport litigation, who expressed surprise at the unusually generous amount of funding the FAA is putting towards this proposed expansion,” the letter says. “We want to know why the FAA wants our airport expansion so badly.”
Residents attached a list of a dozen alleged grievances that varied from whether existing corporate hangars are filled to questions about tax dollars funding the project.
“E-mails from county officials indicated that only two corporate jet hangars are occupied by jets, the rest are occupied by business or government officials who do not purchase jet fuel,” CCU wrote.
County spokeswoman Vivian Laxton said all seven corporate hangars are leased and that aircraft would not necessarily be found there 24/7.
“Is your car always in your driveway?” she asked.
CCU also raised concerns about whether tax dollars would be used for the project.
Budget Director Ted Zaleski recently said while tax dollars aren’t slated for the expansion, he couldn’t say tax dollars would never be used for the airport’s enterprise fund.
At about noon Monday, four people picketed outside county government offices.
Residents said they plan to protest nearly every day until commissioners vote on the issue June 12.
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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1:11 PM MST on Thu., May. 31, 2007
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10:47 AM MST on Mon., May. 28, 2007
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6:41 AM MST on Sat., May. 26, 2007
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1:59 PM MST on Wed., May. 23, 2007
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5:36 AM MST on Mon., May. 21, 2007
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1:14 AM MST on Wed., May. 2, 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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