Airport History

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Welcome to Orange County Voice. We are a growing network of neighborhoods and businesses united in our opposition to the building of a regional airport in Orange County.  We are working to protect our community and to ensure that our interests and priorities are understood by elected officials, the media and the community at large. We include members from all over Orange and the surrounding counties.

We are mounting a large and growing opposition to UNC's plans to site an airport in Orange County. We oppose UNC's airport plan in principle, and we support communities that are opposing specific sites.  We believe that RDU and other regional airports are sufficient for UNC's AHEC operations, and will adequately serve the needs of the business community and local pilots after Horace Williams Airport is closed.

This website is designed to keep you informed of UNC's plans to site a new airport, and to communicate the status of our opposition.  We are committed to be a reliable source of factual information.  For starters, the website provides convenient access to:

• Background - basic information on the new law and public information about UNC's plans to build an airport in Orange County
• Legislation - NC State Law 2008-204 which gives UNC the right to take land by force for purposes of siting a replacement for Horace Williams Airport
• Economic Report and Analysis - The report that underlies the claims of economic benefit and which, upon quick review, describes the limitations of the study data, results and underlying methodology.
• In The News - media coverage showing how the airport program is being relayed to the public
• Opposition Materials - including our brochure and map of sites at risk, and our petition.
• Orange County Voice leaders and members. Please contact us regularly and often. We want to know how you feel about the airport, our opposition program and insights that you have that could help.

Please, take a minute to sign up and join our opposition.  We are proud to be a voice for an extraordinary community.

Background

In 2005, UNC hired Talbert and Bright, engineering and planning consultants, to assess options for the relocation of Horace Williams airport in order to make room for the construction of the Carolina North campus.  The airport is currently used by Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), an operation that uses 6 planes to fly throughout NC to provide health education in rural communities.  In addition, the airport supports some limited general aviation with about 27 private aircraft currently housed there. The Talbert and Bright consultants evaluated many sites and, in their final recommendation to the UNC Board of Governors, indicated that the best alternative was to relocate AHEC flight operations to RDU for approximately $2 million to construct a new hanger and private terminal.  Since construction of Carolina North is imminent, UNC has started a project to construct the "temporary" hanger at RDU and relocate AHEC flights to that airport shortly.  The RDU terminal project for AHEC is budgeted at roughly $3.5 million.

This past summer, the NC Legislature quietly passed Senate Bill 1925 (now State Law 2008-204) which allows UNC to form an airport authority and use the powers of eminent domain (ability to take land by force from property owners) to relocate Horace Williams Airport in Southwest Orange County (roughly west of Old 86 and South of I-40).  This legislation excluded possible sites in Chatham and Alamance counties. 

Most recently, another Talbert and Bright study was commissioned by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Foundation, Inc. This report builds the economic/business case for building a "high activity" general aviation airport that is significantly larger than Horace Williams.  The report recommends that the new airport have a minimum runway length of between 5,000 - 6,500 feet with a parallel taxiway to support business and corporate general aviation users and be a "full-service, all weather airport" to support business jet aircraft which are not permitted at Horace Williams.  Other services required at the new airport, as specified in the report, include aircraft fueling and storage, tie downs, aircraft maintenance facilities, charters, rentals, hangar leasing, and car rental leasing.  This report proposes a 24 hour a day, seven day a week airport without restrictions in order to qualify for federal FAA funding.  

Why We're Concerned

1. The new airport facilities are redundant to other local airports and conflict with the 2005 Talbert & Bright study, which recommended RDU as the best location for AHEC.  
2. The legislation has given UNC the power to bypass Orange County land use planning, input from the community, and involvement by our elected officials leaving us without constitutional representation. 
3. The airport would be funded primarily by federal and some state funding - meaning our tax dollars.  
4. As much as 1000 acres of land in our rural community will be taken via eminent domain (by force) for an airport. 
5. Serious environmental impacts including watershed contamination and air pollution will likely result from the construction and operation of an airport of this magnitude. In addition, the airport will simply annihilate the rural character of our community along with progressive, sustainable economy that we are building around Orange County's local farms and agriculture.  
6. There is strong evidence that this is really a push by large UNC donors and private pilots (including Bill Faison, an NC House representative and vocal proponent of the airport) to have a private airport for their own use. 

Orange County Voice's efforts complement Preserve Rural Orange's work in opposing the White Cross site (Site H) which tops the list of possible sites in Orange County in Talbert and Bright's 2005 report. Orange County Voice opposes the airport at any site. We are coordinating our efforts with existing community groups for maximum reach and strength in opposition.

We have evaluated the legislation (NC State Law 2008-204) and UNC's plans. In addition to the Talbert and Bright 2005 presentation, we have a working copy of the May 2008 economic impact report - which clarifies the "vision" (both documents are now online via this site). 

• UNC appears to be planning a regional airport for 100+ regional jets and private planes. Not for scheduled passenger flights but certainly for commercial use. This is not a replacement of Horace Williams. It's a much larger airport with 6500 foot runways. This larger concept is the basis for federal funding.
• The economic plan are factually incorrect and economically unsound  - The economic impact working paper (May, 2008) incorrectly suggests that Orange County is an under served aviation community that needs a larger, regional airport. In their report, the consultant acknowledges that their report is based on preliminary and limited data collected for different study. Yet Bill Faison and Brad Broadwell are touting, as fact, claims of  $40-$53 million in economic benefits. We believe that the report is misleading and without merit. The report and commentary from economists is available on this site. 
• There is strong evidence that AHEC, the supposed basis for the airport, is reducing their flights and the proposed private terminal at RDU would suffice for the short and long term. AHEC professionals report that most of AHEC operations are ground-based, and many of the flights (such as UNC to Fayetteville) are faster by car (2 hours vs. 90 minutes). Plus the "rural communities" that AHEC serves are growing and developing local medical resources of their own. It appears that there is declining need for AHEC at all.
• We all agree that special interests including private pilots, UNC alumni, developers and others are driving this initiative.

Our opposition is currently targeted to oppose the airport at any site and we will work tirelessly to achieve our objective.  It is unnecessary, a waste of taxpayer money, and not in the interests of Orange County or the State of North Carolina.

Legislation

SL 2008 - 204 (Formerly Senate Bill 1925)
http://www.ncleg.net/Sessions/2007/Bills/Senate/HTML/S1925v8.html

Chapter 40A:  Eminent Domain (referenced in Senate Bill 1925)
http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/Statutes/StatutesTOC.pl?Chapter=0040A

Chapter 63:  Aeronautics (referenced in Senate Bill 1925)
http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_63.html

Chapter 116:  Higher Education (this chapter is amended by the legislation)
http://www.ncleg.net/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_116.html

2005 Site Study

TALBERT & BRIGHT HORACE WILLIAMS AIRPORT SITE STUDY
PRESENTATION TO THE UNC BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

Dated May 26, 2005

Study to identify potential replacement for Horace Williams Airport and review travel time/cost increases if MedAir Operations relocated to RDU.  Report includes recommendations, maps of the area and maps with suggested airport sites.  Click here for report.

Economic Report/Comments

TALBERT & BRIGHT PRESENTATION TO THE UNC AT CHAPEL HILL FOUNDATION INC.
Dated May 2008

This document is the economic working paper that suggests that a new airport in Orange County will generate $40-$53 million in economic benefit.  Just to clarify, the study was funded by the UNC Alumni (The Chapel Hill Foundation) because UNC is not permitted, by law, to use taxpayer money to fund general studies of this nature.  The legislation that allows UNC to site an airport in Orange County for AHEC, does not sanction or authorize UNC or the NC Legislature to plan Orange County's economy or its general aviation needs.

The report does describe a regional general aviation airport, which would be the basis for federal funding.  The airport described is much larger than Horace Williams (HWA) and would have 6500 foot runways and hangars/parking for 100+ regional jets and private planes.  The proposed airport would require roughly 1000 acres and is likely to cost over $100 million to build.

As you read the report, please notice that the consultants repeatedly mention the underlying data as limited and preliminary.  Also, Orange County Voice checked some of the underlying facts and found them to be untrue.  The six "major businesses" cited as needing an airport in Orange County are actually quite small (2-10 employees) and in general, the plane is used for the convenience of the chief executive (except the aerial photographer).  The business owner we spoke to liked HWA and will move their plane to Burlington or Person County airport once HWA is closed.

Also, of the 114 planes registered in Orange County, a large number of them are on private airstrips or kept at Burlington or Person County airport.  None of the private plane owners that we interviewed said that an airport in Orange County was necessary.

 Click here to view report.

ECONOMIC COMMENT

Mitch Renkow, Ph.d., Professor, Agricultural and Resource Economics, NCSU. 

Dr. Mitchell Renkow, economist from NC State, reviewed the report.  His comments are available through the link below.  In addition to the overall exaggeration of the economic benefits, he clearly explains that the underlying basis for the economics are simply unfounded.  The data upon which the report is based, assumes that an economy is under performing because there is no way to get to the area.  An airport would correct that.  However, in the case of Orange County, we have easy access to RDU plus we have access to 4 regional airports - which by the way are operating at way under capacity. Adding more airport capacity is likely to devalue our economy and cannibalize business from the other airports.

Click here for comment.

Newsworthy

Orange County airport: Flying under the radar
by Bob Burtman, Indy Week
http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A267391

Businessmen helped pay for airport impact study
Moeser sought private funds to make case for new facility
MARK SCHULTZ, Staff Writer, Chapel Hill News
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/front/story/21189.html

Thorp: UNC needs airport
New chancellor says search for sites must begin all over again
MARK SCHULTZ, Staff Writer, Chapel Hill News
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/19917.html

Airport will generate funds
County official: ‘It’s an opportunity’
Katy Doll, Senior Writer, Daily Tar Heel
http://www.dailytarheel.com/news/city/airport_will_generate_funds

Faison: Airport will create jobs
Lawmaker amended bill to limit sites search to county
MARK SCHULTZ, Staff Writer, Chapel Hill News
http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/18562.html

OCV Press Releases

10/24/08
Orange County Voice joins forces with Orange County Community Awareness to oppose UNC's plans to place a general aviation airport in rural Orange County.  Click here to view.

10/01/08
Orange County Residents Suspect Special Interests Fuel Orange County Airport.  Click here to view.

What We're Doing

We have an active team of volunteers who are working to oppose the airport on many fronts. We welcome your help and ideas on all of them. Here's some of the things we are working on:

• Mobilizing an informed, county-wide opposition to the airport through an educational program, petitioning and other activities. We are starting in SW Orange County - which is most vulnerable to the airport. We will soon expand into the municipalities and north county.  Yard signs are being printed and petitions are available online and at key neighborhood locations.
  
• Working with Orange County officials to tighten up zoning and environmental and, possibly the natural resource protection features of our land use ordinances.
  
• Opening a dialog with UNC officials to express our concerns and encourage them to move AHEC air operations to RDU - as their consultants suggested. 
  
• Working with local media to assure that reporting on the airport is balanced and accurate.  We are directly providing news and correcting misreporting.  Plus many of our volunteers have been writing great letters to local papers.
  

Please consider joining our active volunteer group. Organize your neighbors and encourage them to join us. Start a petition in your family, church, workplace or neighborhood (copies are online). Put out a yard sign - especially if it's visible from a main road. If you'd like to join our volunteer team, please contact Laurice Aramoonie (laurice@orangecountyvoice.org).

Please remember - it costs money. Everyone who's working for our community is a volunteer and many of our local businesses, like Harry's Market, are printing for us at cost or less.  Consider donating $25 or whatever you can spare per family to support us. We promise to use your money wisely.  Visit our "Please Donate" tab for additional details.

What You Can Do

 Our airport opposition is mounting on several fronts – and we can really use your help. Please:

• Sign our petition which you can find at Harry’s Market, Maple View Ice Cream and many businesses on 54 and throughout the county. Its also on our website. Please note that our petition opposes the airport anywhere in Orange County which is different that the petition t that opposes the airport at Site H (which is White Cross). Return completed petitions to Harry’s Market or contact info@orangecountyvoice.org
• Put a yard sign out -- you can find them at Harry’s Market and Maple View Ice Cream.
• Distribute brochures, petitions and yard signs to friends, neighbors, co-workers and others – and ask them to join Orange County Voice.
• Coordinate/host an airport briefing for your neighborhood or friends so that you all can be well informed on the issues and our opposition. If you’d like us to provide a briefing to your group, please contact info@orangecountyvoice.org.
• Watch for notices on meetings and other events. There will be times when we will need your support in person – so if we ask, we hope you’ll show up
• Volunteer to expand our outreach into the municipalities and businesses throughout the area. If you have special networks that can help spread the word, please us know.   If you can help please contact volunteers@orangecountyvoice.org
• Consider a small donation to cover the costs for printing, signs and other services (all our workers are volunteers). 

Thank you for your interest and support for Orange County Voice. 

Brochure with Site Map

Orange County Voice Brochure and Map
10/17/08
Reasons OCV is opposing the airport.  Includes a map with airport sites recommended by the 2005 Talbert & Bright report.  Click here to view.

Orange County Voice Yard Sign
10/17/08
A preview of our sign.  Click here to view.

Petition

Thank you for your interest in supporting Orange County Voice's efforts to oppose an airport anywhere in Orange County.  The attached petitions are Word documents.  Please print and complete.  You can drop off the completed petitions at Harry's Market on Highway 54 near the intersection of 54 and White Cross Road.

Residents that lie outside of Orange County and oppose the airport are eligible to sign.  Must be 18 years old.  Please sign only once (but you may sign the Site H petition and this petition).

Petition to Oppose Orange County Airport 
English Version
Please ensure your signatures have the mailing address line completed.  Otherwise the signature will not be valid.  Click here for the petition.