Critics Fear Similar Taxpayer Expense As Earlier Terminal Project

The groundbreaking of a new general aviation terminal at Myrtle Beach International Airport may have taken place on Friday, June 13, but local critics are concerned officials are putting the cart before the horse yet again in regards to improvements at the airport.

As ANN reported last year, the Federal Aviation Administration asked for $7 Million back from the airport after passenger terminal plan went defunct. The FAA had originally awarded $17.4 Million to the project for site clearing and design, but all went sour after the new terminal was rejected by the Myrtle Beach Community Appearance Board in April 2007. The FAA demanded funds returned due to the condition of completion of the project by the county, which never happened.

Though groundbreaking for the new GA terminal at MYR is the most recent news, concerns over spending taxpayer money before any crucial approvals to actually move forward with the project are the underlying message, reports WPDE-15. At the groundbreaking Friday, officials announced a $3 Million award by the state to help fund the project -- two-thirds coming directly from the state budget and the additional third coming from the state Division of Aeronautics.

Concerned local pilot Doug Decker told WPDE the project has not been approved yet by the Myrtle Beach Community Appearance Board -- the same body that nixed the original passenger terminal project -- nor has the project gone out to bid, or even have a building permit. Decker also claimed the project is already 50 percent more expensive than airports that have built similar projects.

"They're (County Council) needing to increase the funding by about $500,000," said Decker Friday to SCNow.com. "This has not been approved by the Horry County Council as of today," he added.

According to Horry County Council Chair Liz Gilland, to keep the project within budget, the council has made needed changes. She doesn't believe there is a person on the CAB who would have a problem with the revised plans.

"We have to go back to the CAB because they had to change the look of it in order to cut the price down, but we changed it in such a way if you look at a picture of what it was and what it is now, to the naked eye you won't really notice the difference. We have the money, we have the plans, we have the site, we're ready to build," said Gilland.

Gilland also said the county council can easily afford the half-million dollars needed for the terminal project and she added they'll use enterprise funds that come out of the airport as well.

Decker is in full support of the new terminal and agrees with council members that the county needs one. But he thinks more planning and consideration needed to be made before they had the ground-breaking.

"Remember they've had a groundbreaking before here. They did that for the $250 million terminal. They were going to build on the west side where the General Aviation terminal's going to be built and that failed," said Decker.

Despite the criticisms, airport officials are excited for the new terminal and are hoping it will help draw business to the area. If construction begins soon, officials anticipate completion sometime in 2009.

FMI: www.myrtlebeachairport.com