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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMayor's Newsletter 01/92 ..:•.. ; . . ewslette SPECIAL EDITIONJANUARY 1992 Dear Fellow Euless officials vow to fight the good fight Residents: City officials are determined to continue to the Federal Aviation Administration's Euless'fight against the proposed runway final approval of the FEIS.The approval This special issue of at Dallas/Fort Worth International Air- could be released anytime after Feb. 18, the Mayor's News- port. which is the deadline for the public to letter was published «par goal is still the same,"City Man- to inform you of theager Tom Hart said."We don't want a most recent events '' runway." 'We can't afford not to be In the concerning the pro- City Council and staff members gained fight. There's too much at risk." posed west runway at pro- Dallas/Fort Worth some reassurances Thursday afternoon --City Manager, International Airport. during a joint executive session with the Tom Hart The Federal Aviation Administration;e- cities of Grapevine and Irving. leased the final environmental impact "We believe more firmly now than ever statement(FEIS)on Jan,6.The city At press time,the Euless City Council that the assumptions underlying the councils of Euless,Grapevine and Irving , was expected to authorize the pursuit of a airports expansion plans are flawed and met in executive session on Jan.23 to federal court challenge to the final EIS. that the west runway cannot be built as discuss our next collective step.This proposed,"Mayor Harold Samuels said. In the meantime,Euless officials will was our first joint meeting in a genera- continue to be vigilant in their endeavors tion,since the airport was fast proposed. At the meeting Thursday,the cities'at- to help residents understand why their op- The FEIS does not hold much new in- tonseys in the case outlined the major position is so vital" formation.If the report had provided flaws in the final environmental impact "We can't afford not to be in the fight," more meaningful changes in response to statement(FEIS)for the expansion, g Po which was released Jan.6. Hart said "There's too much at risk,both the concerns of literally thousands of res- for our citizens and the city as a whole." idents,then we would not find ourselves But the final EIS is riddled with holes, on the brink of considering new litiga- said Peter Kirsch,one of the attorneys The city manager compared the money tion. representing Euless in the airport dispute. spent opposing the runway to its expendi- This newsletter explains the city's main (See adjacent box for details on the city's tures in the Fire Department. objections to the FEIS.)The final recom- We spend millions of dollars each year objections to the FEIS,as well as our op- tions to respond to it.If you would like mendations and overall quality of the to protect our citizens,property and lives to study the FEIS further,a copy is avail- FEIS were predictable,Hart said. from potential fire loss, he noted. :y able in the Euless Public Library at 201 "It's not surprising,"he said,"But it is "In much the same way,we have been N.Ector Drive, frustrating." forced to protect all residents from the Sincerely, Also Thursday night,the attorneys pre- Permanent financial loss and environmen- Mayor Harold Samuels rented the next possible steps the three cit- tal damage that the proposed runway ies could take,including a legal challenge would cause."e t City officials detail problems in the final EIS The following are some of the major at D/FW is the only way to meet the decreasing the number of Euless resi- flaws found in the final environmental im- region's aviation demands. dents who would need mitigation. pact statement. ♦The report ignores the downturn in the ♦The report includes figures on single ♦Only cosmetic changes were made in aviation industry by relying upon out- noise events(the amount of noise from response to the city's 10,000-page cri- dated data. one airplane flying overhead), but tique of the draft EIS. ♦Virtually none of the critical inaccura- Presents no analysis of these figures. ♦The FEIS does not refute any of the cies in analysis and assumptions and i FAA admits that it has not analyzed a reliable, scientific data presented in in the scope of the draft were cor- number of feasiblealternatives to the the city's comments, rected. proposed west runway. ♦The FAA failed to explain why it be- ♦The FEIS concedes the accuracy of the i The document ignores the city's zon- lieves that building two new runways noise demonstration videotape,but in- ing ordinances and is totally in- sists on using average noise levels, compatible with the city's land plans. Page 2 Information Court not the only answer to runway disputeirtxpanic� ■ But airport's mitigation Despite continuing discussions between Cono proposal leaves city with few Euless and airport officials,any final set- tlement will only result from a long,care- options ful series of negotiations. Februar > t �hc meetings held While the runway court battle is ex- "We are open to conversation,"City �Eytitoys en€at puLn.............. t S pected to continue,some negotiated solu- Councilmember Peter Staks said."We tion between Euless and the D/FW could accommodate a reasonable airport Coppellrvtng Airport Board has not been ruled out. expansion plan,if the airport deals with •Atrp rt aCi .. that EI5 "Although our goal remains the same, Euless residents fairly." will include east and west ruiways we have to be realistic,"City Manager But,he noted,airport officials have not May.Public rutgs held in Euless Tom Hart said."There is a position where been willing to seriously consider the and t~iraevuie an expansion plan could be acceptable-- city's concerns. , ttrte First seizes of pttbttc` if the airport were reasonable in consider- Until that occurs,city officials will con- tion sessr ns to Euless ing the impacts on Euless.At this time, tinue to take their obligation to Euless res- C)c€aber•Second seri60- ...... f public utftx- i they have not been. idents seriously. "We have to be firm and strop and not "It's ma€torf sessions g t�It s our responsibility to protect all of November Ct€ Cvunctl let our city be damaged without proper our citizens from the potentially devasta- y approves mitigation.The t and airlines stand g ctrdtttance�.�g c�ncxl� airport ting economic and environmental effects proval of aupcirt expainston to put hundreds of millions of dollars of of the proposed runway,"Mayor Harald pure profit in their pockets.But they will Samuels said • not be allowed to da so at the expense of ApAl�Alit files su€t to pvetturrt' our residents'life savings,"Hart said ztmizigtrdices lVTay. tl+ sCnapevxxte,living lila Euless mayor responds to runway concerns countsutisXX property near the airport.The lost neve- July ►raft l~TS releed ■ Over the past few months, nue from these property values will have AUgus some residents have #,Mi—pgattan program released to be borne by taxpayers throughout the Mtxre thatt� (}people Atte Euless expressed concerns about the rest of the city public rneelanng ou UEIS , validity of the city's opposition Manresidents who live in north Euless to the proposed runway at y Septeittl�er• Ault imaster flan re p p y investigated the airport's expansion plans leased Airport;FAA sponsor sunulta D/FW airport The following is before purchasing their homes.The city, ncous, lrc lex.rmgs, an excerpt from a recent letter too,kept abreast of the airport's activi- December: rapevtrte,irvutg addressing some of these ties.If it had been apparent that a runway release response to E►EIS,cc�ttains wrt concerns. was proposed at the current location,the city would not have allowed that area of � `t of tnfortria; on and Dear Residents; Euless to develop as it did.But how was Let me assure you that the City Council anyone to guess that the airport would 11 and I appreciate the many benefits the propose to build a runway where no plans January. residents atietd meeting city has received because of the airport's existed for one?And who among us fore- to h: -sa�rtx... is..ex cad noise existence.We do not oppose the airport saw how our homes'values would drop or airport expansion,per se.But we because of that,making many of them vir- from proposed ntnwy strongly dispute any right the airport tually unsellable? Clctolr:State d�stnct cc"utf uPhttlds cYaes'high€to regulate exgans�vn a€au claims to expand its facilities at the ex- I don't think anyone foresaw the burden n pence of the city and its residents. that the airport would try to place on us -X And there is cause for concern.The re- by building an additional,unplanned run- cently released final Environmental lin- way in the proposed location.Nor should Jatry:FAA<tleases ftnat EIS pact Statement reflects the Airport Board any of us be expected to bear an unfair F&.-,,.11&I} 3lirte f public dent and the Federal Aviation proportion of the runway's indirect costs. final EIS Administration's total disregard for the ....... not trying to destroy safety and well-being of Euless residents. In the end,we'rethe airport or the region's future prosper- Our ultimate goal is to find the best solu- If it were simply a matter of a few more ity.But we are going to act to ensure that hon possible to protect our residents'in- airplanes and a little more noise,there our residents'financial and quality-of-life terests and guarantee the financial would be little for the city to contest.But concerns are protected.If that means we well-being of city and citizens,alike. nationally respected experts have proven have to stop the airport expansion,we Sincerely, that the additional noise will drastically will.However,if another alternative is Mayor Harold Samuels reduce the values of the homes and other available,we will pursue it.