SITTING OR STANDING UP...THE AIRPORT ROAR GOES ON

Last night I attended the FAA driven "focus group" along with 13 neighborhood association presidents.

I was one of the 7 residents in the audience who had been the subject of a "stand off" about "sitting down".
(Sun-Sentinel Story)
All Citizens in this City should be very proud
of this group of neighborhood leaders.

I know I am.

Not simply because they were willing to protest in the name of decency so that others could watch the meeting, but because they gave of their time and energy to save our City’s integrity and character; as it no doubt will be changed by the runway expansion at the airport.

Not only are they dedicated and intelligent volunteers,
they are passionate about doing the right thing for our community.
They are out there fighting for the rest of us,
trying to stop the intrusion of ill effects a larger airport will,
no doubt, cause to our neighborhoods.

Thank you.
Thank you for your voice.
Thank you for your time.
Mostly importantly, thank you for caring not just about your backyard,
but about the City’s future.

Although this was my first meeting regarding this expansion, this is not a new issue to me.
This fight has been fought since the Hillcrest buyout
(we know how that turnout)
and then again regarding the I-95 interchange.
(Many past leaders were in that fight; they weren’t here tonight though,
they’re wore out and tired)

But we, residents of our neighborhoods, are still fighting.
The leaders present last night, are still fighting for all of us, by trying to get our voice heard.
They’re still standing... for us.

The meeting was my first PBIA EIS (Palm Beach International Airport Environmental Impact Study) focus group meeting. There have been 2 others, (there have been numerous other airport public meetings regarding the airport expansion) and there remain 3 more focus group meetings. Each focus group pertains to a specific issue.

Last night it was about HISTORIC RESOURCES.

There was thorough conversation regarding the following 3 steps of the process:
Where the areas of impact are or (1) "identifying the area of potential effect" which was mapped out.

Rick, from Grandview Heights, rightly pointed out that not all areas were represented, and

Joanne from Parker Ridge tried to get them to explain what exactly would qualify "eligibility" for areas to be included in the mitigation process.

Neither ever really got their questions fully answered.

The mapped area, they were told, was simply the
Preliminary Area of Potential Effect (APE).
I guess we don’t want to look at too large an area, it may scare the willies out of us!

Joanne’s question was never fully answered, but in the back-up it clearly states that properties eligible are "LISTED historic properties and eligibility is determined by the federal agency" (FAA?).
As pointed out by residents at the meeting, including the named neighborhoods affected, there were several communities, although not currently designated, which should be deemed eligible.
Sunshine Park, Vedado -Hillcrest, Prospect Heights, Poinciana Park and Parker Ridge were a few named neighborhoods who will suffer airport fallout, yet are not officially historically designated.
Their response was that the FAA would consider direct impacts and takings of these areas.
YIKES! Maybe its better to stay off that radar?

Next, the EIS team’s historian (2) "identified all National Registered Properties."
As they showed us the photos of our beautiful homes,
I could help but remember the homes in Hillcrest,
many of which also were lovely examples of our history.
I am glad we have pictures of these neighborhoods.
(I wondered if we had pictures of the Hillcrest homes anywhere?)
But we were showed aerials from 1968, 1999 and 2007, and vacant land imagines of Golfview and Hillcrest.
It was like an APE had come in and gobbled it up.
I couldn’t help but make the association: Preliminary Area of Potential Effect (APE).

How sad.

The last step was to (3) "Assess Effects".
Can I simply say "See the PHOTOS they showed of Golfview".

So I could go on and chronicle the discussion here,
my notes ran 10 pages long,
but I won’t waste your time.
That was done last night.
The leadership sat there and came to recognize that they were,
as stated by Al, from Parker Ridge
"an unwilling dance partner" in this process.
He correctly stated that this was a "Fake Public Participation".

I know this and I agree.
I’ve sat in several of these types of meetings at the City level.
Feels gross doesn’t it?

Rick, from Grandview Heights, couldn’t seem to get his point across either.
The Economic Impact is serious and yet is not being addressed.
There are so many levels of economic impact that to study it might halt the project.
Think about it. Mitigation is about how much money it is going to take to address the effects of the expansion. If they study it, then they might have such a high cost, which would make the price of the project prohibitive.
Keep fighting them Rick. Insist they make it an independent area of study.

Nancy, from El Cid, stated correctly to the FAA representatives, that it is us "who are getting our ox gored here, not yours."
Nancy, its always the taxpayers who get gored...
Boondoggle after boondoggle we pay, not them.

Bailey, from Southland Park , made the remark that
this was a socio-economically motivated project.

I suggest Bailey, it is also a politically motivated project. When you consider the who and why of this expansion; the dots are easy to connect.

Then there was the most sad of all questions:
Tom Convoy,Poinciana Park, asked: "Why are we here?"
The answer by Tom Bennett with the FAA: "You are part of the process. This is a primarily information letting and gathering process. You have no vote."
We have no voice, no power.

So where do we "stand"?

Well thanks to fellow residents who care, we got to sit down for this one.

As an editorial on this experience, I would like to say this:
What I witnessed last night was an example of what I have endured at the City level for the past 5 years.
They don’t hear us.
They don’t care what we say.
They will manipulate and work the process,
to ultimately do what they want,
regardless of the facts and feelings of those most affected...the taxpayers.

To the leadership at the table,
Thank you again for wanting to protect our community.
My heart broke watching your sad and defeated faces.
Your frowns of resignation are very familiar to me.
I hear you!