Lorain County airport expansion in news again

Plans for the expansion of the Lorain County Airport have been temporarily put on hold while the newly formed county Port Authority formulates a new master-plan for the project.

Many factors have contributed to a delay in formulating plans for a possible expansion. Dan Abfall, chairman of the soon to be defunct Lorain County Regional Airport Authority, explained that one of the major factors was the failure to justify the expansion to the Federal Aviation Administration, which would be necessary before it agrees to approve federal funds for a grant.

Emeritus Professor of Mathematics George Andrews, who is a member of the Port Authority, explained that typically 90 percent of similar grants come from federal funds, while the state and local governments usually contribute five percent each. As a result, he said, "One has to really persuade the FAA [to approve the plan]."

The recently rejected expansion, which has been strongly opposed by much of the Oberlin College community, goes back to 1989, when the Airport Authority created a master-plan calling for a 2,000 foot runway in order to accommodate large cargo planes. However, in order for the expansion to even be considered by the FAA, a full environmental assessment had to be completed. Abfall said that one of the main goals for the company hired to investigate the environmental impact of a proposed expansion was to learn if there were any wetlands which would be threatened. It was discovered that a third of an acre of wetlands would potentially be affected.

After revealing that there was not a significant environmental impact, the Authority also had to justify the financial needs the project would have, and explain what Abfall described as the expansion's "Purpose and need." In order to determine this, a survey was conducted of the past and present traffic at the airport, as well as that expected in the future. Unfortunately for proponents of the expansion, the FAA did not feel there was ample justification for the runway to be lengthened.

Now if an expansion is to be reconsidered, a new master-plan has to be formulated and the whole process has to be gone through again. Abfall said, "Once we feel we have a purpose and need, we can proceed with an environmental impact report. Then we would have to get public approval to proceed."

However the project has faced new obstacles. Recently, the cities of Lorain and Elyria, together responsible for two-thirds of the airport's funding over and above its budget, withdrew their support. This prompted a decision by the County Commissioners to transfer control of the airport from the Airport Authority to the Lorain County Port Authority. The County had decided that this would make more federal and state dollars available for the airport.

The airport authority will not be dissolved until an agreement can be reached under which the Port Authority will take over airport operations. Andrews said any arrangement has to be agreed upon by many parties: the County Commission, the outgoing Airport Authority, the incoming Port Authority, and ultimately, the FAA.

Once the FAA agrees that the Port Authority can assume control, it has to formulate a new master-plan for the expansion. This may take some time while control is transferred from the Airport Authority to the Port Authority, and then the whole approval process will be undertaken again.

Take me away: Airport expansion is still in the news. (photo by Areca Treon)