Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Runway plan may take off
Providence Journal
WARWICK - Some federal, state and local officials said Tuesday that they are becoming optimistic that a $165-million improvement project at T.F. Green Airport will not be stymied by a city lawsuit.
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, Enhanced Coverage LinkingSen. Jack Reed, -Search using:News, Most Recent 60 DaysBiographies Plus NewsWarwick Mayor Scott Avedisian and Kevin Dillon, president of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, said they are hopeful that the airport will soon reach accord with the City Council over local concerns that prompted the council to file a lawsuit challenging the Federal Aviation Administration s approval of the airport project.
I think everyone is working diligently, Dillon said of the airport s talks with a special subcommittee of the City Council. And I think we re getting close.
Reed and Avedisian expressed similar sentiments, saying that they hear progress is being made.
Dillon s comments, made during a news conference called by Reed to announce new federal funding for the FAA, mark a change from last week when he said talks with the city had not yielded much progress.
Since then, Dillon said in an interview, the council has been much more specific about what it is looking for from the airport.
Last Wednesday was the first time we saw a comprehensive list ... , and seeing that list gives me a better feeling that we may be able to reach an understanding, Dillon said. A lot of things on the list are doable. There are some that are not, but I do feel a lot more optimistic.
Reed, who was joined by Governor Chafee, said he wanted city officials to know that a new federal appropriation of nearly $64 billion to the FAA means there will be money for construction grants that the airport can apply for.
Reed and Chafee said that although they respect the need for the council to address local concerns about the health and environmental impact of the airport, they believe it is critical to move the project forward as quickly as possible.
Now that the FAA bill has been signed into law, we must seize this opportunity to get this project off the ground, Reed said, adding that it would create more than 1,000 construction jobs over that next several years and spur millions of dollars in economic development.
Reed is the latest high-ranking official to urge quick action on the airport project. Last week, state General Treasurer Gina M. Raimondo asked council members to remember that the airport is vital to the state s economy. Days before, Chafee personally called council members to urge swift resolution.
The T.F. Green project would extend the main runway by about 1,500 feet and make safety improvements to the secondary runway.
The project, which has been under consideration for more than a decade, was approved by the FAA in September.
In December the City Council voted to challenge the FAA in federal court, contending that the agency did not require the airport to sufficiently mitigate adverse effects on local residents.
Since then, members of a council subcommittee have been meeting with the airport to see if health and safety concerns can be addressed and to report back to the full council, which will decide whether to drop the suit against the FAA.
Councilwoman Camille Vella Wilkinson, who chairs the subcommittee and represents Ward 3 where the airport is located, said Tuesday that she, too, is optimistic that the talks could result in an out-of-court settlement but having said that, there are a lot of moving parts.
She said the committee is putting on a push this week, with meetings scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Councilman Steve Merolla, who is on the three-member subcommittee, said the public needs to remember that the council can fight for protection for the community but does not have the power to stop the expansion.
We only have the power to challenge the FAA and say what steps we want taken to mitigate [negative] effects on our residents, he said.