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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.a. Airport Site Search ProcessCITY OF ROSEMOUNT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR ACTION CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: JUNE 4, 1991 AGENDA ITEM: AIRPORT SITE SEARCH PROCESS AGENDA SECTION: DEPARTMENT HEADS REPORT PREPARED BY: STEPHAN JILK, CITY ADMINISTRATOR AGENDA V.4 91 nEm tr 3A ATTACHMENTS: NEWS ARTICLES AP; YED- Y: As the process continues by the Metropolitan Council on the search process for a new airport staff has continued to monitor the meetings and updated information. There will be a brief staff presentation to update you on the process. RECOMMENDED ACTION: None. COUNCIL ACTION: ' w according to groups that have met with the Metropolitan t'AgoocL airp ort Council's New-�AirportSearch Area Advisory Task Force..;. The business wish list - -reflects the dependence many of - -� SO 0 e`GL� }l .the region's businesses have on good air transportation. A good airport can help get employees and products to na- . L tional and international markets bus-iness There is another important reason, less obvious and less knownincircles, for improving the region's major ' 777 ,airport: vtaldiig _ astructur e investments, it turns out, improves a _firm's investment; productivity and profits, it The Twin Cities Area Business community wants se = according to Council planner John Kan. Kari said a recent national studyshows a strong correla- ry eral things from the area's major. airport:: The airport - 'should be conveniently located, offer competitive rates,.', tion between public infrastructure investments in `roads, '. -provide international flights and provide more flights to sewers and airports, and private -sector investment; pro- M.locations more often ductivity and profit.. He spoke at the University of 1 in e- - -- But that's not all.- Business people want this regions .. sota's Center For Transportation Studies' transportation major airport to provide air cargo service 24 hours a day,.. A! rpo rt to page 7 - Afer"Zol- Ai rportfrom page research conference in St Paul in May. V tty the correlation? Kari said the public investments are a productive service to businesses. Public invest- ments are part of a firm's overall pro- duction process just as the firm's own capital investments are part of that process, he said. History bears this out. In the 1950s and'60s, the nations public infrastruc- ture investment was more than five per cent of its gross national product, but dropped to under four percent in the 1970s and 1980s'. From the first 20 - year period to the second, the growth in economic labor productivity fell by half—from 2.8 percent to 1.4 percent. Kari said development of the fed- eral interstate highway system is a good example of how public invest- ment makes businesses competitive in the national marketplace. Today, he said, the same argument is increas- ingly being applied to air service. Currently, half of the international air cargo manufactured in the Twin Cities Area is trucked to Chicago, then shipped by air to international desti- nations. The low cost of using inter- state highways is part of the reason, Kari said. But trucking is also done, he acjded, because Minneapolis -St Paul Interna- tional Airport (MSP) doesn t offer 24- hour air cargo flights and has few non- stop international flights. In addition, MSP airport is further restricted be- cause its short runways limit maxi mum loading for international flights during summer months. DavidBraslau, president of Regional Econometrics, Inc., an aviation con- sulting firm, said the greatmajority of international air shipments from MSP are destined for Japan, followed by Italy, Great Britain, Germany and France. Computers are the dominant air cargo export, followed by preci- sion equipment, then processed foods. According to national data, the Twin Cities builds and ships by air --either from MSP or other airports --about eight percent of all US. -made computers shipped abroad. - - Kari said economic questions will be studied carefully as the "dual -track" planning for regional airport improve- ments proceeds. ■ Ken Reddirk forjune and July AIRPORT WATCH June 21 Public information moebnp,asPan ofmonthly New -Airport Search Area Advisory Task Force meeting, on preliminary report on three search areas. 10 a.m. Council Chambers. June24 Public information meeting: task force presents preliminary report on tnr" search areas to community contact people. 7:30-9 p.m. Council Chambers. 'June 25 Pubic Informabonmeeting: task torcepraaamt preliminary report on three search areas to people in Dakota candidate "arch area. 7.30.9 p.m. Hastings Senior H. S. auditorium. 11th and Pm Sts., Hastings. June26 Public information meeting: task force preswo preliminary report on three search areas to people in DakotaSoott candidate "arch area. 7:30-9 p.m. Farmington H. S. theater, 900 Denmark Av. (also County Rd. 31), Farmirpton. June27 Public information meeting: task force presents preliminary report on three "arch areas to people in Anoka-inti-Chisago candaate "arch area. 7:30- 9 p.m. North Branch H. S. audron.m. County Rd. 14. North Branch. July 17 Task force Mars comment on pr*hthinary aearM-area report hom regional orgenirabOm. business groups, citizens. t p.m. Council Chambers. July 17 Task tome hears comment on preltminery search— report from community comae people. 7:30 p.m. Council Chambers. July19 Task force Mara comment on preliminary search -area report trom officials and citizens from each search ora. Anok.4—ti-Chlaago: 6:30-9:45 a.m. Dakota: 10-11:15 a.m. Dakota -Scott 11:3--A 2:45 p.m. Council Cham. ben;. answers to citizens' questions May/June 7 Editor's note: Citizens asked the Metropolitan Council a lot of questions about the airport "dual -track" process and the three search areas (Anoka- Isanti-Chisago, Dakota, and Dakota -Scott) during a recent series of public meetings. Here are some commonly asked questions and answers to them. Why search for a new airport location? The Twin Cities region will need additional airport capacity at some point in the future. Minneapolis -St. Paul International Airport (MSP) may not be adequate to meet the needs of the region and the state. There is a high probability that flight demand will exceed the airport's current capacity within 10 years, according to Council studies in 1987 and 1988. During the 1980s, the number of flights at MSP grew 35 percent, from an annual 282,000 to 380,000. The number of passengers more than doubled, growing from 8.7 million to 19 million. Council forecasts for the year 2020 are 577,000 flights and 37 million passengers. The number of airline passengers will double nationwide by the year 2000, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, then triple about the year 2040. MSP airport is only 3,100 acres in size. It is surrounded by well- estab- lished commercial and residential areas, historic Fort Snelling and the Na- tional Cemetery—all of which limit airport expansion potential. The search for a new airport site is partly based on those limitations. However, sizable investments at MSP airport and its convenient central location warrant a thorough examination of expansion possibilities. What is the 'dual -track' airport strategy? Who set it up? The 1989 legislature mandated the dual -track planning process. e One track leads to finding a site for a possible new airport in case the region needs it. The Council will designate a broad search area by the end of the year. Subsequently, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) will select a site for the airport within the search area by 1996. e The other track looks at major improvement options for runways and - terminal facilities at MSP airport The MAC %rill select an option by the end of the year. e The Council and the MAC will monitor trends during the six-year plan- ning period and beyond. The trends include growth in air freight and the number of airport passengers, and changes in the economy and airline industry. The annual monitoring will give the region the information it needs to decide on one track or the other, or to do nothing. What are the drhdng forces behind the dual -track strategy? Economic concerns and, to a much lesser extent, noise concerns are behind the planning. Airport capacity is crucial to the economic vitality of the Twin Cities Area and the Upper Midwest. Inadequate capacity could stifle eco- nomic growth and cost the region economic opportunities, putting the state's businesses at a disadvantage in the national and world economy. Adding capacity may, therefore, be an economic necessity, not simply a desire for more economic development. Are environmental concerns adequately addressed in the search area per? The Council is conducting a comprehensive environmental review of all three search areas. The process has been approved by the state Environ- mental Quality Board. All relevant environmental issues %•ill be addressed, documented and presented to the public. The environmental review is as thorough as an environmental impact statement (ELS) and requires more public involvement and scrutiny than an HIS. The MAC will conduct an environmental review of the specific site to be selected within the search area. Can people in the search areas continue to improve their land and Yes. For example, people can add buildings to their farms or garages to their homes. Current land uses within the candidate search areas and the final search area may continue, based on current zoning. However, rezonings, conditional -use permits or variances will require review by the local government and the Council. Only requests consistent with city and township comprehensive plans may be approved. The restric- tion will protect the search areas for a short time from development that could make the areas unsuitable for a possible new airport The search area zoning controls apply only to search areas located in the seven -county Metropolitan Area. Who pays for a new airport or an expanded MSP? Under either option, the region %rill seek federal funds to pay part of the costs. Most costs will be paid by the airlines, their passengers, and travel - related businesses (like car rental companies) at the airport. The MAC now raises enough revenues from sources at MSP to cover its costs, thus avoiding use of its property tax authority. Airports, .commission chair— Schilling thinks b0 g. May/June3 ings from Australia and Japan bang on the walls. Also on display are A globe, several models of aircraft and a big model of an 18th -century, four -masted sailingship. Schilling placed the Twin Cities in a world business context. "We have a very diversified business climate here; with great medical and electronics expertise, and- a great higher educa- tional system," he said. "We have good people, a good work ethic' and we tend to get alongwith one another fairlywell.' With his finger he drew a wide imaginary circle around the Twin Cities on a world map. "Today's large jets have a range of 6,400 miles nonstop he said. "Everyone within this circle could be a customer or a visitor of the Twin Cities." Schilling said a decision to remodel The cost of remodeling MSP could be huge, he said.. "We haven't priced outoursix optionsyet, butwe're talk- ing billions of dollars. We'd have to build a new terminal, new runways and new roads. Then there are the acquisitions: housing in Minneapolis to open up dear zones, New Ford Town and Rich Acres in Richfield, and possibly three hotels in Bloomington. "It generally costs more to remodel than it does to start from scratch and build new," he said. Once the airport decision is made, the state had better get behind the decision and support it, he said. He warned against repeating what hap- pened with Interstate Hwy. 35E. -Tying up I -35E in the courts for 20 years" put a tremendous damper on downtown St. Paul, he said. ■ Jim Martin TheThe new chair of the Metro- Minneapolis -St. Paul International politan Airports Commission (MAC) Airport (MSP) or build a replacement is a businessman asking a big ques- airport for it "will affect the Twin Cit - tion. "What does the Twin Cities Area ies Area, the state and the whole Upper want to become?" Midwest throughout the 21st century. - His own answer? A -gateway city-.: Unfortunately, People are approach - pproachto to world business. ­ ing the decision with short-range think - "If people overseas want to expand in& he said. "From the business com- in this country, and you are a gateway munity, you hear either,'Dont move city, they will want to come to your the airport because it's convenient, city. A gateway is where the transpor- or,'Movet—"m under the flight Path"' talion hubs are," said Hugh Schilling, Politicians tend to think in the con - Gov. Carlson s appointment as the MAC text of their term of office and home - chair last January. owners of where they Eve now, he Schilling was interviewed recently said. "Even if they decided to move in the office of Horton Holding, Inc., a the airport tomorrow, we'd be well Minneapolis firm he launched 40 years into the 21stcentury before it opened. ago. The company, which manufac- Were not futurists—we're all short tures clutches and brakes for trucks term thinkers, " he said. and industrial machinery, has grown Schilling said the business commu- from two people to about 400 employ- ruty isn't involved enough in the air- ees port decision. "Eighty percent of air - It has associate plants in Japan and line travel at MSP today is business re - Australia, sales offices in Belgium, and lated," he said. "Business has the most hrough distribution in most countriest- to gain and the most to lose from the out the world. decision. My fear is that the decision Schilling's office reflects his fasci- will. be left to the politicians, Which nation with international tavL Paint_` would be a disaster." ings from Australia and Japan bang on the walls. Also on display are A globe, several models of aircraft and a big model of an 18th -century, four -masted sailingship. Schilling placed the Twin Cities in a world business context. "We have a very diversified business climate here; with great medical and electronics expertise, and- a great higher educa- tional system," he said. "We have good people, a good work ethic' and we tend to get alongwith one another fairlywell.' With his finger he drew a wide imaginary circle around the Twin Cities on a world map. "Today's large jets have a range of 6,400 miles nonstop he said. "Everyone within this circle could be a customer or a visitor of the Twin Cities." Schilling said a decision to remodel The cost of remodeling MSP could be huge, he said.. "We haven't priced outoursix optionsyet, butwe're talk- ing billions of dollars. We'd have to build a new terminal, new runways and new roads. Then there are the acquisitions: housing in Minneapolis to open up dear zones, New Ford Town and Rich Acres in Richfield, and possibly three hotels in Bloomington. "It generally costs more to remodel than it does to start from scratch and build new," he said. Once the airport decision is made, the state had better get behind the decision and support it, he said. He warned against repeating what hap- pened with Interstate Hwy. 35E. -Tying up I -35E in the courts for 20 years" put a tremendous damper on downtown St. Paul, he said. ■ Jim Martin Public meetings set in June, July to review new airport search data � ' The Metropolitan Council's meetings" intended to help peo- New-Airport Search Area Advis- ple better understand the new ory Task Force will hold several information. Those meetings meetings in June and July to give begin June 21, when the task the public a chance to review new force will be briefed on the data on its three airport search information. areas. On June 24, a special briefing The new data will be used later on the preliminary findings will this summer to recommend one of be held for 64 "community con - the three search areas to the. tacts" — designated liaisons Metropolitan Council as a gener- ' between search area residents al location for a new major and the task force. airport, should it be determined On June 25, 26 and 27, task that one is needed. force members will present the The Council and its task force data to -;People living in each of have identified three potential the three search areas and search areas. One is north of the answer questions. Twin Cities and includes por- I(, , In,July, the task force will hold tions of Anoka, Isanti and Chisa- the second phase of meetings to go counties. The other two are bear public comment located in Dakota and Scott At 1 p.m., July 17, the task counties. force will hear responses from The task force will hold eight regional organizations, business meetings for local government groups and citizens. At 7:30 p.m. officials, the business community that day, the task force will hear and the public to receive informa- from citizens from the three tion and comment on the search candidate search areas. areas. The meetings have been Search area schedule: organized into two phases. June, July In June, the data will be presented at "public information Public information meetings June 21 — Task force dis- cusses preliminary report on High School auditorium, County three search areas. 10 a.m. Met- Road 14, North Branch. ropolitan Council Chambers, Public comment meetings Mears Park Centre, 230 E. Fifth July 17 — Task force holds St., downtown St. Paul. public meeting to hear comment June 24 — Task force pre- on preliminary search -area sents preliminary report on three report from regional organiza- search areas to community con- tions, business groups, citizens. l tact people. 7:30-9 p.m. Council p.m. Metropolitan Council Chambers. Chambers. June 25 - Task force July 17 — Task force holds presents preliminary report public meeting to hear comment on three search areas to peo- on preliminary search -area ple in Dakota candidate search area. 7:30-9 p.m; H"t,..- report from community contact ings Senior High School audi-" o le. 7:30 m. Met Council Pep p' torium.Ilth and Pine streets, 'Chambers. Hastings. . � July 19 — Task force holds June 26 — Task force pre- public meeting to hear comment sents preliminary report on three on preliminary search -area search areas to people in Dako- report from county and local to-Soott candidate search area. officials and citizens from each 7:30-9 p.m. Farmington High search area. Anoka-Isanti-Chi- School theater, 800 Denmark sago: 8:30-9:45 a.m. Dakota: 10 - Ave. (also County Road 31), 11:15 a.m. Dakota -Scott: 11:30 Farmington. June 27 —Task force pre- a.m.-12:45 p.m. Metropolitan senta preliminary report on three Council Chambers. search areas to people in Anoka- For more information, call Isanti-Chisago candidate search Donna Mattson of the Council area. 7:30-9 p.m. North Branch staff at 291-6493. 6 Maymune NJE7R0,... ov. Ame Carlson in March appointed nine new members to the Metropolitan Council. They are: Susan Anderson, Blaine; Bonnie D. Feather- stone, Burnsville; Jim Krautkremer, Brooklyn Park; Carol A. Kummer, Minneapolis; E. Craig Morris, Lakeland; Esther Newsome, White Bear Lake; Donald B. Riley, Minneapolis; Sondra R. Simonson, Bloomington; and Dede Wolfson, St. Paul. Earlierthis year, the governor appointed Mary E. Ander- son as chair of the Council. The Council has 17 members. Sixteen are appointed from districts in the seven -county Metro Area to four-year, part-timeterms. The chair serves full time. The Council pians forthe future of the area's highways, transit, regional parks, sewers and airports. It also plans for other region -wide needs: in housing, health services, aging, solid -waste management, air quality, and water quality and supply. Authority for the Council's work comes fromthe state legislature and federal laws. The new members and the Council districts they repre- sent are listed below. Dede Wolfson, District 2 (southern half of St. Paul, excluding Highland Park). • State public aff ai rs chair, National Council of Jewish Women. • Dental hygienist in St. Paul Carol A. Kummer, e .. Minneapolis). -".,,. • Appropriations committee administrator, Minnesota House of Representatives. • Former member, Metropolitan Waste Control Commission, 1983-91. Donald B.Fliley, southeast .. .. a • Interim director, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, Minneapolis. • Former administrative manager, Hennepin Energy Resource Co. J -r • Member, Health Resources Foundation Board. • Member, Health East Foundation Grants hhw—r ;_:_�,,,,. Review Committee. Susan Anderson, District 8 (southern Anoka• Former board member, Anoka -Hennepin x School District No.1. • Former chair of Blaine Charter Commission. _. County suburbs: Brooklyn Center, Brooklyn Park, Crystal, New Hope and Osseo). i • Former mayor of Brooklyn Park. • Executive director, Intergovernmental Informa- tion Systems Advisory Council for State of Min nesota { • President of Simonson Realty, Inc. • Member of Fairview Southdale Hospital board of trustees. ■ t • Partner in Featherstone -Reilly, educational consultants. • Board member, Interstate Hwy. 35W Alliance. • Former mayor of Lakeland. • Technical development manager, US WEST. PhMm by Cliff Burns