[JYO] Final Assault on Leesburg Executive Airport

 
The mixed-use  (office/residential) development known as Crosstrails comes to 
a vote for  rezoning tomorrow, Tuesday morning, at the Loudoun County Board 
of  Supervisors.  The meeting starts at 9:30 with petitioners (limited to two  
minutes each), so if you could find it in your heart to take an  hour from 
work and come over and speak in support of Leesburg airport, we'd  greatly 
appreciate the support.  The only time available to speak will be  at the 9:30 
petitioners section.
 
The final proposal  includes 1,000 residential units, nearly half of which 
are restricted to  residents 55 years of age and older, all of which are 
located 
within 1,800 feet  of the runway.  The property is between the runway and the 
Greenway, and  the houses will be immediately west and southwest of the 
southern end of the  runway.  Further information is available on the Loudoun 
County  website.  The closest homes are a mere 700 feet from the pavement.  The 
entire  residential portion of the development (the southern half of the 
property) will  be subjected to the standard instrument departure off Runway 
17, which 
dictates  a right turn on climbout.  Clearly, from an aviation perspective, 
this  development is a dagger pointed directly at the heart of the airport.  
 
We have received  support from AOPA, EAA, NBAA, VDOA, VAB, and just about 
everyone else in  the aviation community.  We have briefed every member of the 
board on the  realities of aircraft operations.  We've tried to overcome the 
statements  of the developer that 'no aircraft will ever fly over this 
property', 
as well as  'We called Potomac TRACON and all aircraft fly two miles SOUTH  
of the airport before they turn, so they'll never fly over our  residences'.  
(I'm not kidding....they actually said that).  At each  of two public hearings, 
over 30 pilots turned out and spoke in  opposition to this project. However, 
our work over the last year may be  coming to naught, as a slim majority of 
the board is currently in favor of  approving this development.  We're about to 
lose this fight, folks.   We need your help.
 
We have achieved an  agreement with the applicant that grants an 'avigation 
easement' over the  property if he's successful in his rezoning, but that won't 
save us politically,  only legally.   We will be in political hell once these 
people  get organized and start working to close the airport, which in my 
mind is a  given, not a reach.
 
If you could come  out to 1 Harrison Street in Leesburg at 9:00 a.m. or so 
tomorrow morning,  sign up at the front desk of the board of supervisors room, 
and speak to the  board for 120 seconds about the stupidity of allowing homes 
so close to the  runway, I'll owe you one.

Maybe more than  one.........
 

Thanks,
 
Dennis
 
 
 
Dennis B. Boykin  IV
Chairman
Leesburg Executive  Airport Commission
(703)  346-4857

 
 



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