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
- 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.
- 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.
- The airport would be funded primarily by federal and some state funding - meaning our tax dollars.
- As much as 1000 acres of land in our rural community will be taken via eminent domain (by force) for an airport.
- 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.
- 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.
Thank you for your interest and support to this opposition.
PLEASE JOIN ORANGE COUNTY VOICE and amplify our message!
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