Keep Venice Airport Compatible

KEEP VENICE AIRPORT COMPATIBLE


I, the undersigned, am a Venice area resident and live in the immediate area that will be impacted by decisions made concerning the Venice Airport. I believe it is in the best interest for the City and the Airport (VNC) for Council to implement the following:

1. Keep the airport safe and compatible with surrounding land uses.
Council should direct city staff and airport consultants to keep runway protection zones, runway safe areas and obstruction-free areas as much as possible within the airports boundaries in current and future Airport Layout Plans.
We do not believe it is in the Citys interest to allow airport designations which could force the taking and demolition of houses, golf course, roads or park lands.
We believe that commercial jet operations and flight school operations must be controlled through leasing decisions, and that our Council should discourage uses that are incompatible with the residential character of our community.
Only apply and accept public funding that does not in any way obligate the city to support increased airport capacity or airport traffic above current levels.

2. Direct staff to implement best noise abatement practices at the VNC airport.
Develop and immediately implement specific procedures for jets, helicopters, and flight training.
Develop and implement a procedure to report noise both by telephone and web site with mandatory follow-up by airport staff.
Right turn departures on Runway 4 should be implemented. This would substantially reduce noise in the entire community.
Noise abatement traffic patterns should be enforceable. There should be a mechanism to report abuses and tabulate complaints; and these should be acted upon.

3. Amend the make-up and mission of the Airport Advisory Board in the municipal code.
The Board should be comprised of City of Venice residents.
Pilots, airport engineers and planners should be encouraged to participate on the Board--as well as residents who have planning, environmental and business experience. However, members should not be in a position to profit from advice or actions taken by the Board.
The Board should provide advice on airport issues to keep the airport safe, viable and compatible.

4. Amend the Citys Comprehensive Code with respect to the airport.
Instead of advancing the interest of the airport as a general aviation airport in the United States Air Transportation System, we believe the underlying rationale in our Citys Comprehensive Plan should be to keep the airport compatible with livable community principles and practice. In short, the airport should remain a small, friendly general aviation airport and not a center for commercial jets and commercial aviation industries.
We ask the City to discontinue all efforts in planning for a control tower and to amend the Citys Comprehensive Plan to remove all context of a control tower from this document.