Fri, Nov 04, 2011
Close Vote Removes John Washington From Advisory Panel
The Scottsdale, AZ, City council has voted 4-3 to remove John
Washington from the Scottsdale Airport Advisory Commission.
Washington had reportedly sent a letter to the FAA which questioned
the council's vote to allow an apartment complex to be built near
Scottsdale Airport (KSDL).
The council had voted 6-1 last month to approve zoning changes
allowing a 240-unit apartment building less than a mile from the
airport runway. Washington sent a letter to the FAA which some saw
as lodging a complaint about the zoning change to federal
authorities, but which councilwoman Lisa Borosky, who voted against
Washington's removal, told the
Arizona Republic was "an inquiry, stating facts
and ... asking for clarification."
Mayor Jim Lane had asked Washington to voluntarily resign after
he wrote the letter, but the commissioner refused. After the vote,
he said he had the best interests of the city and the airport in
mind, and "I did what I felt like I needed to do."
The paper reports that, in its written response, the FAA does
not suggest any federal intervention into the council's business.
But FAA compliance specialist Anthony Garcia said that the influx
of new housing units and people near the airport could lead to the
eventual imposition of noise mitigation measures which "can have a
detrimental impact on the airport's utility."
In all, three apartment complexes had been proposed near KSDL.
The airport commission has recommended that none be approved
because residents moving in would almost certainly start
complaining about airport noise. The city planning commission had
recommended approval of all three projects.
Since the first vote, the council has approved a second
apartment building near the airport, and has delayed consideration
of the third.
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