Miami-Dade Commission should make no decision on Air Force base without public input | Opinion

After Hurricane Andrew devastated Homestead Air Force Base in 1992, county leaders and others proposed converting the property into a commercial airport. The Air Force supported transferring the base to the county or sharing it as a joint-use airport, but the county awarded a no-bid contract to restructure the base as a commercial airport to a development group.

Good government groups, environmental organizations and a huge number of nearby residents — as well as the public at large — were rightly outraged that such an airport would be located on top of Biscayne National Park. They argued, rightly, that it would imperil this national treasure by spoiling Biscayne Bay for recreational boating, fishing, water sports and sightseeing. And it would also jeopardize the breeding grounds of coastal and marine life.

Consequently, that plan was abandoned because of these many concerns about the environmental impact and the quality of life for residents, wildlife and visitors to the national park as well as the potential for a disastrous accident affecting the Turkey Point nuclear power plant. Since then, the Air Force has maintained the base with a squadron of fighter planes and ancillary uses, all with minimal impact to the bay.

Now there is a renewed and ill-considered attempt to develop the airbase into a joint-use facility allowing private aviation to use 700 acres that would be transferred to the county. A resolution to this effect proposed by County Commissioners Dennis Moss and Jose Diaz was heard by a five-member committee with no public input whatsoever. This poorly conceived item now is on the County Commission’s Oct. 8 agenda, with no opportunity for public comment.

Good government and responsiveness to our residents demand that the public be heard and that a multitude of questions be addressed before this resolution is considered.

FedEx has a large distribution center close by, and Amazon is negotiating to build a warehouse, raising concerns that if private aviation use is granted, the next step would be pressure to permit cargo operations. We need answers to such issues as:

• How would private flights and potential cargo flights increase ground traffic and air traffic over the national park?

• What will flight patterns look like?

• How many flights will there be per day?

• What will the sound pattern be?

• What are the implications of more pollution going into the nearby bay?

• What is the impact on resident endangered species such as the American crocodile?

• Is it safe to generate substantial air traffic in close proximity to Turkey Point Nuclear Power plant?

• What studies have been conducted on these issues?

• Why are we being kept in the dark about this plan?

County commissioners — and all of us — should note that the FAA Advisory Circular document: Citizen Participation in Airport Planning, dated Oct. 28, 2019, includes these statements:

“The public expects openness and transparency on airport planning and development that may impact them. In these cases, they also expect opportunities to be involved in the planning process. Through involvement in airport planning, communities can better understand the process and challenges airports face for certain aspects of the process, such as decision-making involving trade-offs (i.e., between capacity requirements and noise, or other environmental factors). Ultimately, communities can help airport sponsors achieve development objectives while ensuring their input is considered.”

Also: “Mistrust or misinformation between airport sponsors and communities can complicate a community involvement program. The public expects these agencies to provide current, understandable and factual communication, especially when it relates to major planning studies. The public also expects to have opportunities for input on those studies. FAA and airport sponsors should be aware of these expectations. They should specify when community concerns and interests will be considered in a planning process that could affect them.”

Given our concerns and the FAA’s position, why is the commission considering this resolution without proper input from all stakeholders, not just development and aviation interests?

Everybody who believes in good and responsive government — as well as the preservation of Biscayne Bay — should contact their county commissioner to express their concerns and demand public hearings before they consider any resolution involving the proposal for a commercial airport that would affect Biscayne National Park.

Steven Green, Ph.D., is professor emeritus at the University of Miami and councilman-elect for Miami-Dade Community Council 14. Dewey Steele is a tropical-fruit grower. They wrote this op-ed on behalf of Mary K. Waters, chair of Community Council 14; Matthew Porter, president of the Tropical Fruit Growers of South Florida; and Laura Reynolds, vice president of Friends of Biscayne Bay.