City Council Favors Nearby Homes, Golf Course

The FAA has sent a letter to the Venice, Florida City Council denying a request to downgrade Venice Municipal Airport, which would have paved the way for a shorter runway at KVNC.

The council had made the change a priority, saying it would remove some 24 nearby houses and a golf course driving range from the airports safety zone. The Sarasota Herald Tribune reports that the city believed a low number of operations at the airport would allow it to shorten the runway, but the FAA rebuffed that idea.

Bart Vernace, assistant manager for the FAA's district office in Orlando, said the agency had to take into account "the critical aircraft" at the airport, as well as the needs of "all airport users and tenants."

In the letter, the FAA said the houses had been in the safety zone for more than 40 years, and that development of that type in airport safety zones is not unusual. It said the assertion that a low traffic count would allow for a shorter runway is "not correct."

Vernace did say the FAA would be willing to work with the city to resolve some of its issues. "Although we cannot agree to downgrade the airport or primary runway," Vernace wrote. "We are open to considering other alternatives you may have."

FMI: www.faa.gov, www.venicegov.com