Town Eyes Moving Or Closing Queen City Airport

The potential for more tax revenue appears to be driving the city of Allentown (PA) toward redeveloping Queen City Airport -- much to the alarm of local pilots. The city says, however, that the 208 acres of airport property is being "held hostage" by GA pilots who base there and are now looking at moving the airport to another site.

"The process is continuing," said Community and Economic Development Director Ed Pawlowski. "We're looking at many suitable locations."

The city council met last week to consider some of the ideas, but barred pilots from speaking.

"This is not a meeting for public debate," said Pawlowski. "There will be plenty of time for public debate."

Right now, about 75 GA aircraft are based at Queen City. Combined with transient traffic, they conduct about 64,000 operations a year -- not enough, in Pawlowski's opinion, to warrant continued city ownership of the airport land.

The Allentown Morning Call reports the city, along with the FAA and the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, agreed four years ago to search for sites where the airport might be relocated. The agreement ends this year and that deadline appears to have spurred Allentown city leaders to action.

Under the pact, advocates of moving the airport have until December 1st to come up with an alternate location. But the new airport must not be located beneath airspace now occupied by Lehigh Valley International in Hanover Township (PA).

It's a 20-year old quest on the part of Allentown's economic honchos, who can't bear to see the 208-acre airport site go unused. They figure they could add $11 million in property taxes could be derived by moving the airport. That money would go to both Lehigh County and its school district. They also figure Allentown would see an additional $4.5 million in tax revenues from commercializing the airport site.

A local developer is studying alternative sites at no cost to the city. But Pawlowski sent a letter to the airport authority last year, suggesting Queen City be completely shut down and Lehigh Valley International be expanded to include a third runway.

"Development of a parallel runway north of Race Street would leave the airport with a wealth of opportunities for the development of general aviation facilities," according to the Lehigh Valley Regional Aviation System Plan.

But that same report says, even with a third runway, GA activity in Lehigh County would have to be reduced by up to 20-percent in order to maintain FAA standards through the next ten years.

Pilots, who have submitted their own white paper to the city council, say Allentown is playing with fire. "This is a great asset for the city if they would just leave it alone," said Rae Klahr, president of the Queen City Action Committee. "It's really an underused facility."

FMI: www.lvia.org