Zero Expansion Against 5,000 ft runway
Runway To Nowhere
Yes, we have government PORK right here in Eden Prairie. Why is the Metropolitan Airport Commission (MAC) spending millions of our tax dollars to extend the Flying Cloud Airport (FCM) runway from 3900' to 5000'? The main reason is to allow larger business jets to land and take off at FCM. Only a very few of these large jets need the 5000' runway. The smaller jets that currently use FCM do NOT need the extension! This is not about the current noise and safety at the airport. It is about the future increased noise and congestion at FCM to accommodate the larger jets owned mainly by large corporations. These larger jets can now safely use the main MSP airport. In fact, a lot of the larger business jet operators much prefer the longer runways and facilities currently at MSP. Why do the citizens of Eden Prairie need to pay extra taxes for the millions in PORK spending dollars that are needed for these few big aircraft? After completion, a 5000' runway at FCM would attract more and more of these larger aircraft. This would require more and more tax dollars to build larger and more hangers and a relocation of the existing control tower. Folks, you haven't seen anything yet. We are not talking about now, but about the future increase of noise, number and size of aircraft, an endless increase in our tax dollars for PORK. All of this at the expense of a significant decrease in real estate and home property values for a large area around the airport, due mainly to the increased noise and congestion at FCM. This significant lowering of collectable taxes for property near FCM will increase real estate taxes and decrease quality of life for all other Eden Prairie residents and businesses. A benefit for only several large corporations will be at the expense of the great majority of E.P. residents. All residents need to contact our federal senators and representatives to tell them NOT to spend millions of taxpayer dollars, to stop subsidizing aviation to the tune of millions every year. These legislators also read our letters to the Editor of the Eden Prairie News. Your letters are urgently needed to oppose the 5000' expansion. The time is now! Our federal legislators are now voting new funding for 2009. Tell them to STOP the Flying Cloud Airport expansion project.
Contact Our National Legislators and tell them no more Pork for FCM Expansion
Amy Klobuchar- kelly_scanlan@klobuchar.senate.gov
Erik Paulsen- andrew.christianson@mail.house.gov
Jim Oberstar- 202-225-6211
Currently, neither Al Franken nor Norm Coleman provide any contact information.
Why We Oppose Proposed Expansion at Flying Cloud
It is a waste of taxpayers' money.
- 82.9 million dollar expansion (Final EIS at page V-23)
- Expansion is not for increasing the number of operations, but for accommodating larger business jets (Final EIS at page II-1 through II-5)
- Only 3% of operations at Flying Cloud are business jets; most operations are recreational or flight training (Final EIS at page II-5)
- Only 0.5% of operations at MSP are stopovers from larger Flying Cloud jets (II-5)
- MAC has been greatly subsidizing Flying Cloud and significantly undercharging for rent and gas fees compared to other similar airports in the country. Flying Cloud doesn't support itself now. (MAC and Northwest Airlines' consultant reports)
- Operations at Flying Cloud have been diminishing since 1994 (232,130) and were at the lowest levels in decades in 2008 (117,000). (City of Eden Prairie web site)
- Northwest Airlines' consultant shows MAC that financial incentives can be used to keep general aviation away from MSP, instead of huge expansion costs at Flying Cloud.
- Operations at MSP are already down due to the NWA merger with Delta and the loss of NWA headquarters. The entire reason for expanding Flying Cloud was to reduce congestion at MSP. Congestion at MSP is no longer a problem.
Conclusion: 82.9 million dollars for 3% of Flying Cloud users for a return of 0.5% at a subsidized, diminishingly used airport is a waste. A better alternative is to use financial incentives for stopovers from Flying Cloud to use Holman Field instead of MSP.
MAC predicts huge increases in noise and aircraft emissions only 3 years after completion, which will decrease property values in Eden Prairie
- With expansion, an additional 1,421 people in Eden Prairie will have residences in areas where aircraft noise is "incompatible" for living. (page V-45) MAC will not tell us how loud the increases will be for all of us, even though it is able to calculate it.
- Aircraft emissions include toxic chemicals and small particulates that cause adverse health effects, including cancer. Before expansion, 5 of these toxins are already in such high concentrations in the air in Minnesota that they are over adult health benchmarks. Children have lower tolerances for toxins, so it's much worse for them.
- Years of research show property levels decrease with increasing noise from and proximity to airports. How much money will you lose on your house?
To stop proposed expansion at Flying Cloud, you should:
- Contact your Federal Legislators. They control the money that funds the expansion. Amy Klobuchar - 202-224-3244 or 612-727-5220 or email at kelly_scanlan@klobuchar.senate.gov or call 202-224-3244 or 612-727-5220- Erik Paulsen - 202- 225-287, 952-405-8510 or email at- andrew.christianson@mail.house.gov -Jim Oberstar- 202- 225-6211 - Currently, neither Al Franken nor Norm Coleman provide any contact information.
- Call your representatives: David Hann at 651-296-1749 and Jenifer Loon at 651-296-7449. Give them the facts and tell them you are against the expansion.
- Call MAC Commissioners at 612-726-8100 and tell them you are against expansion and the waste of taxpayer money when data shows Flying Cloud expansion is unwarranted and cheaper alternatives exist.
- Call Governor Pawlenty's Office at 651-296-3391 and tell them MAC is out of line on the expansion of Flying Cloud, is wasting taxpayer money, ignoring hard facts on airport usage, and the MET Council needs to re-evaluate its 1992 decree to expand Flying Cloud.
- Tell your neighbors what you learned, or give them a copy of this update.
