Witham Field Opponents Against Bigger Fuel Tank For FBO

Lawmakers have approved plans for a new 20,000 gallon fuel tank for an FBO at Witham Field (SUA) in Stuart, FL over protests from airport opponents.

The Treasure Coast Palm reports the Martin County Commission voted 3-2 to approve the new tank for Galaxy Aviation, in order to ensure adequate fuel supplies in the event of a hurricane or other disruption to normal fuel shipments. The FBO currently has the capacity to store 27,000 gallons of fuel.

FBO manager David Smith noted the additional tank should also prevent Galaxy from running dry in normal operations; the FBO has run out of fuel five times over the past three years, forcing Galaxy to purchase fuel from cross-field rival Stuart Jet Center.

Not everyone was pleased with the decision, however. Commissioners Susan Valliere and Sarah Heard questioned the need for a new fuel tank, siding with area homeowners who claim the new tank will add even more noisy jet traffic at the airport.

"It is an unnecessary expansion," Valliere harped. "If anybody is going to be putting a fuel farm at the airport, it should be the county. The airport needs revenue."

Commissioner Michael DiTerlizzi said the new tank also means added revenue for Martin County, which collects money on fuel flowage fees. Galaxy is making the initial investment to install the tank, he added, though the county will ultimately own the tank.

Valliere is a familiar voice of airport opposition. As ANN reported in 2003, she was an advocate for refusing FAA funding for the airport, stating "one of the only ways to slow jet traffic is to stop accepting grant money" and added "The FAA is a demon... It's a branch of the government that's for aviation. It's not for the people."

In recent years, opponents have honed their efforts to a singular battle against the FAA on the matter of runway overruns. The FAA proposed leveling several buildings at either end of the runway, including homes, an office park, a YMCA and a golf course... arguing those buildings had been built on land given to the FAA through earlier development grants.

Opponents countered the main 5,826-foot runway at SUA should be shortened, to free up land on airport grounds for overrun zones. In addition to sparing most of those homes and buildings, shortening the usable portion of the runway would have the added benefit to NIMBYs of restricting the size of aircraft that could use the airport safely.

In March of this year, a Denver attorney retained by the county recommended commissioners accept a settlement proposed by the FAA, rather than filing a lawsuit against so-called demonic forces. In its settlement, the FAA recommended shortening Runway 12-30 at SUA by 460 feet, to its pre-1998 length of 5,366 feet, in order to accommodate Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) pads at either end of the runway to prevent overruns.

FMI: www.galaxyaviation.com, Martin Country's SUA Web Site